At one time, the Denver Broncos were well known for both their run-blocking schemes and their ability to produce 1,000 yard rushers from nowhere. Therefore, many simply assumed that this system would continue in perpetuity because, as the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, that line of thinking got completely thrown out the window once a young gunslinger named Jay Cutler rode into town...
 

For the first time since the days of John Elway, Mike Shanahan's Broncos had a quarterback capable of producing a world-class passing game. They added other pieces to the puzzle in wide receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler. With Marshall (their new answer to Denver's legendary Rod Smith) and Scheffler (a dynamic, talented tight end) in place, the team sought to add a "burner", some guy who could potentially score each and every time he touched the ball.
 

Enter Eddie Royal.

Initially, Royal was not considered to be anything too special. He wasn't even the best receiver at Virginia Tech his senior year. His route running was suspect and his smallish frame didn't make anyone sit up and take notice. Even so, the Broncos saw in him the ability to not only return kicks (another area the team had been deficient in), but also as the downfield threat they needed and made him the second wide receiver taken at the 2008 Draft. They didn't have to wait very long to be proven prescient in their assessment of him.
 

With Marshall suspended for the first game of the season due to off the field issues, Royal starred in a 41-14 blowout of the division rival Oakland Raiders, catching nine balls for 146 yards and a touchdown. Even when his teammate returned the next week against San Diego and caught a ridiculous 18 passes, Royal still made an impact with five more receptions and another touchdown. This particular game shed tremendous insight into his future value: Even when Denver's WR1 could dominate a contest in such an unbelievable fashion, Royal would still be well involved in the game plan.

By the time the season was finished, Royal outshone not only the four rookie wide receivers selected before him, but also quite a few household names as well. He ended up with 91 receptions, 980 yards and five touchdowns....not a bad haul, considering most NFL rookie receivers usually find themselves overwhelmed in their first year and produce very little. If you owned Royal in a league that awarded points for returns, his 740 total yards made him unusually valuable and, depending upon the scoring system, probably placed him as one of the top 15 wide receivers.
 

So, what does 2009 hold for Royal?
 

While the Broncos were forced to throw much of this past season due to the entire backfield suffering injury after heinous injury, there was a silver lining to the situation: Denver found out that they had not only one but two lethal options in their arsenal and, with Cutler maturing with every week, they also had the means to unleash them upon opposing defenses. Therefore, even if the Denver running backs manage to stay healthier next year, the stage is set. It's not as if the passing game is suddenly going to be thrown into mothballs.
 

Royal will also be another year further in his physical development and will be better equipped to fight off those defensive backs seeking to jam him at the line of scrimmage. He will also have learned a bit better how to use his body to help him make difficult catches and to elude coverage. His route-running, as well as his overall mental game, should also see a nice boost. If the running game does stay healthy, he may see slightly fewer targets, but quantity to quality are directly correlated. The dip in targets would only make Royal a fuzzier focal point for defenses and he'd likely be working against less secondary “traffic”.
 

Last year, lucky owners were able to grab him off the waiver wire after his breakout first game. No one will be anywhere nearly that fortunate this time. In fact, Royal probably won't last much past the second tier of wide receivers taken in your draft, which means you'll have to start looking to take him by the fifth round. If you're drafting in either a keeper or dynasty league, don't be afraid to reach for him even earlier than that. His talent and situation dictate that Royal will be a special player for many years to come.

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