It is nothing new this season for the Denver Broncos to be thin at wide receiver, they have been since they traded Brandon Lloyd for what eventually became a fifth round draft pick. You will remember even Tim Tebow lined up at wide receiver earlier in the season. When Eric Decker went down with a sprained MCL in the first play of the second quarter yesterday Tebow became by default the fourth most experienced receiver on Denver's roster.
As John mentioned earlier Denver has three wide receivers on the active roster Eddie Royal, Demaryius Thomas and Matthew Willis. They also currently employ to receivers on their practice squad D'Andre Goodwin and Greg Orton--both undrafted rookies.
Around these parts we debated this morning about some of the big names currently available via free agency, players like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. Though that might be a little too much for a conservative Broncos team, the fact that a move will be made at wide receiver this week is inevitable.
Make no mistake though Denver's situation at receiver is much more dire than you would think. Fans will feel comfortable with familiar names of Eddie Royal and Demaryius Thomas--especially after his performance yesterday against Pittsburgh, but before yesterday Royal had a seasonal grand total of 155 yards on 19 receptions. Even Willis had higher season totals than Royal, finishing the regular season with 18 receptions and 267 yards.
Though Royal did step up big time against the Steelers, Willis may be the x-factor in this whole playoff run. Thomas will draw double coverage from the New England Patriots no doubt and Royal should be primed for another big game against the Patriots weak defense.
Willis is the man who will need to lock it down, he's been stellar in nearly every fourth quarter comeback this season (including the first game against the San Diego Chargers which I've mentioned probably too many times on these here pages); his drop against the Kansas City Chiefs late in the fourth is a catch that he makes nine times out of ten. Had he simply made that the Broncos probably would have been one win stronger in the comeback department and in the win column.
So what say you Broncos Country? Where do the Broncos go with their wide receiver position? Promote Goodwin or Orton? Look to bring someone in via free agency? Let's hear it!
1 recs | 96 comments
dont we have 4 TE?
why dont we use the,
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
Very observant
Andrew Mason said this exact same thing, likely use Dante Rosario as a fourth receiver if needed.
IanHenson - January 9, 2012
What ever happened to Julius Thomas? I know he was injured but that was months ago. Did they put him on IR?
AttwaterForHOF - January 10, 2012
AlbertaBronc answered my question below.
AttwaterForHOF - January 10, 2012
them*
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
They have to promote a receiver.......
because Matt Willis is also an excellent gunner on special teams. Just promote for depth purposes and protect against injury. The Broncos could also use Jeremiah Johnson as a receiver too.
E-ROC - January 9, 2012 via Android app
Id like to use Julius Thomas
guy is a matchup threat, put him wide like the patriots do with Hernandez.
Scotty Payne - January 9, 2012
I say it's time for Julius Thomas to welcome himself to the NFL.
We could nickname him Jay Jay to match Bay Bay.
Zac Man - January 9, 2012
Yep!
Broncotodd - January 10, 2012
Stupid to even bring up Owens or moss just stupid
always broncs - January 9, 2012 via mobile
yup.
Scotty Payne - January 9, 2012
I'm with Veggie up top. Let's use Virgil Green in more of a receiver role. Didn't he run pretty fast at the combine?
I’m for that or promoting Goodwin from the PS.
BroncoMath101 - January 9, 2012
Fells and Dawson are decent
i still love the prospects of Green and Thomas tho. our future Gronk and Hernandez. or i see Thomas playing more like Graham or Gates with the b-ball skills. no they arent there yet but if we give them the time to develop i think they will get there. ditto Carter and Moore. and lets not forget Irving. i think the 2011 draft class is going to go down as one of the greatest. as good as 2006, cept this time we wont trade them all away.
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
Eddie royal will now have an even bigger role to play in NE .
I like royal . But I think his future in denver will be determined how he preforms in this next game .
broncosfaninphilly - January 9, 2012 via mobile
I like Royal a lot too
I dont get why he hasnt been used more. I guess he doesnt fit our system… since he’s put up dismal numbers after his rookie year, if we get rid of him, he’ll be another man’s treasure. But hopefully that also means we can get him back on the cheap. I know were going with the youth movement or something, but i wish we could have Gaffney and Lloyd back, they were my dudes. Gaffney is highly underrated, if they get a real QB in WAS, he could put up some numbers. he gets great separation which is something our young WR corp is needing.
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
I cant see getting an older player like gaffney
And ditching a younger vet like eddie who knows the ins and outs of our system ?
broncosfaninphilly - January 9, 2012 via mobile
THANK YOU!
I’ve screamed about this so much I’ve nauseated some.. When Gaff was given away (literally, for someone not even in the NFL now) I knew that move would be lamented. Guys yacked last summer about our receiving corp being so deep some were expendable. Um, obviously not.
Guess we weren’t supposed to make the playoffs.
Boiler etc - January 9, 2012
I was on board with the Gaffney trade at the time.
It seemed to make sense. In hind sight it was a sucky trade.
Lloyd however, I was scratching my head on this one from day 1. We gave up a pro bowl reciever for a 5th round pick?? I didn’t get it and I don’t get it. How nice would it be to have him and bay bay on the field together? Dumb move.
Mile High ThundaDownUnda - January 10, 2012
Lloyd wanted out...
Just like Orton wanted out…why keep them around if they’re going to act like babies all week long
DaLostBoy4 - January 10, 2012
@DLB and B12...
I know he wanted out, but I never personally read anything that said he was bad in the locker room. Even if he initially wanted to go…. if we would have kept him against his will he still would’ve performed. As a matter of fact I’m sure he would have looked back at this stage and said “man, I’m glad I didn’t go to St. Louis!” :)
You could be totally right though. I wrote this with hindsight, and the coaches know a lot more than I! I’ll retract my “dumb move” statement. ;)
Mile High ThundaDownUnda - January 10, 2012
didn't hear much about Lloyd acting up
but there’s a pretty close connection with him and an anonymous chef. I do recall reading that Orton was really acting like a fool after being benched. Late to meetings and all. Can’t have that around.
DaLostBoy4 - January 12, 2012
Brandon Lloyd
He wanted out. He was bad in the locker room. He had to go.
Briank12 - January 10, 2012
After DT's breakout game
NE will be keying on him. I say we put Willis as the 2 so we can exploit Eddie as a slot guy behind the linebackers. His speed in the middle of the field with the safety watching DT could be huge.
AttwaterForHOF - January 10, 2012
I wouldn't mind finding a way to get another receiver in the lineup...
Injuries at that position can come fast and I’d hate to be in that position… And if we were to sign someone, I have a guy on the Jet’s practice squad in mind. BRING BACK ERON RILEY!
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
great minds think alike!
CombatChuk - January 9, 2012
Lol yes they do
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
Maybe it's because we're both atheists for Tebow lol.
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
that is awesome as well!
CombatChuk - January 9, 2012
Hey, when's the next club meeting?
BroncosBassist - January 10, 2012
he cant be on their practice squad can he?
he has to be on their active roster. if you steal someone from the practice squad they have to be active right?
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
Jets released him Dec. 28th and signed him to their practice squad the next day
Others know the rules way better than I do, but I don’t think there’d be anything stopping us from grabbing him off their squad.
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
Wait, I see what you were asking...
He was active for them until the 28th. He’s on their squad now lol.
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
lets do it now!
right now. wtf how did we miss the boat on that one…. cant we write EFX a letter. a petition to get him back.
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
man you read my mind!
broncosmontana - January 9, 2012
ERON RILEY
ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY
ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY ERON RILEY
Tebow and Riley had awesome rapport in preseason, BRING HIM BACK
CombatChuk - January 9, 2012
If we're legally able to do it
then I say jump on it with both feet flying!!!
PaleHorse78 - January 9, 2012
Pretty sure I saw the other day that the Jets signed him to a future contract last week…
EddieRoyalwithCheese - January 9, 2012 via mobile
I saw that too.
Digger24 - January 9, 2012
Does a future contract preclude us signing him, then?
I’m unclear on what a ‘future contract’ entails.
BroncosBassist - January 10, 2012
Weird double post....
WTH?
BroncosBassist - January 10, 2012
+100
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
I also want to say for the record...
Since literally everyone else left St. Louis, and Lloyd is in a contract year. we should start bugging him to come back. which would be awesome. he’d come back with a 5th round pick in hand. couldn’t have written it better myself.
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
Doubt Lloyd would want to come back
He plays for stats and you’re not always going to get that with this team. He’ll be much happier on a losing team that targets him constantly.
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
i know i know
but a guy can dream
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
besides i think someone is going to cough up some money to sign him.
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
I think DT has made a good start on his case to be #1 next year.
I dont see Lloyd accepting a 2 spot on a running team .
asinsoin - January 9, 2012
I think Lloyd was traded
because he either didnt want to or couldnt block. We need our guys to block.
That will be the biggest loss with Decker. He is an excellent blocker.
AttwaterForHOF - January 10, 2012
2012 FA doesn't start till March I believe
he’s still under contract with the Rams along with every other FA. Only players we can sign are players who are currently FA’s.
Besides he’s already stated he will be following McD where ever he goes. Lloyd will be a Patriot next year.
AlbertaBronc - January 9, 2012
that is truly terrifying
i dont like that idea at all. it’ll be hard for me to like him if he’s a Patriot or Cowgirl.
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
He actually said that?
I guess that cements the “L” on his new label as a TOOL.
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere he said that
Would not surprise me in the least
AlbertaBronc - January 9, 2012
I read some recent quotes from Lloyd.
He said that he would like to stay in St. Louis IF McD was still there. He said that McD really knows how to utilize him to the fullest and would like to stick with him. This was prior to McD being picked up by NE of course. I’m betting he’s a Pat next year.
Mile High ThundaDownUnda - January 10, 2012
Hey bill belicheck does what he wants .
Why cant we ?
broncosfaninphilly - January 9, 2012 via mobile
Let's get Riley if it's true we can
BroncosRock! - January 9, 2012
I don't see why we couldn't
He’s on the Jets’ practice squad
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 9, 2012
reserve future squad.
Digger24 - January 9, 2012
What about moving Jeremiah Johnson or Julius Thomas to receiver
We’ve already seen Johnson line up at receiver a couple times and JT hasn’t been inactive because of his receiving skills. Both those guys are interesting possibilities.
AlbertaBronc - January 9, 2012
I think Green would have a much easier time transitioning to WR than Thomas. Remember, Thomas only has one year of football experience in college and didn't really rack up the stats in an extremely weak conference.
He has huge potential but I think it will be a few years before we really see it. Green was a receiving machine in college and could really step into more of that kind of role. I think he is also faster than Julius
BroncoMath101 - January 9, 2012
Maybe
I think they’ll keep Green at TE because he is a better blocker than Thomas but it is an option however I think Rosario will get moved before Green does.
AlbertaBronc - January 10, 2012
As for Eron Riley
seeing as he is currently on the Jets practice squad I do believe we can sign him but he must go to our active roster (which is fine seeing as that is why we are signing him).
AlbertaBronc - January 9, 2012
lets sign him
even if he doesnt get a chance to play (little time to practice) because then we’ll have him for next year!
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
i dont want some other team to put their grubby hands on him first
veggiezaffer - January 9, 2012
we'd either have to deactivate someone or put Decker on IR to do it but it is a possibility
AlbertaBronc - January 9, 2012
and by deactivate I mean release
AlbertaBronc - January 9, 2012
What are Decker's chances of playing soon?
And in any case, we need another WR – so something’s gotta give
Summitgrad - January 9, 2012
IDK
I think he could be back by the superbowl but do the broncos want to take the chance and hold a spot on the active roster for him. It’ll be interesting to see what they do.
AlbertaBronc - January 10, 2012
Either go out and get Eron Riley again
or bring D’Andre Goodwin up from the practice squad. He did pretty well in practice and the pre season.
PaleHorse78 - January 9, 2012
Goodwin should get the call.
Digger24 - January 9, 2012
Rosario will have to step it up now also
Ya know , I think we have all we need right in front of us . All they have to do is show up and kick in , like men .
broncosfaninphilly - January 9, 2012 via mobile
Just curious ...
Is there somewhere you can see a list of available free-agents on a week-to-week basis?
Oregon Crush - January 9, 2012
Stick with what you got
Why would Randy Moss come out of retirement for 1 game? Even if he did what good would he be after sitting out the whole season and having less than 2 or 3 days to practice with the team?
Expand the roll of Fells and utilize Julius Thomas some. The guy may be raw as all get out but he is still an athletic freak that should be able to absolutely tool a LB a couple of times throughout the game.
TheTroglodyte - January 9, 2012
Sign Moss or another receiver now
Randy Moss would be a good pick up because he wants to pay back New England.
At least, bring someone off of the practice squad at receiver or pick up another free agent. Brandon Stokley is also currently available.
This is the biggest game of the season—we cannot be short at wide receiver.
todd7 - January 9, 2012
Bringing in a FA WR, no matter the talent level, will not make a difference IMO. Learning the offense and building a chemistry with Tebow, as we've seen, doesn't happen overnight
BroncoMath101 - January 9, 2012
Want some U tube vids to show you their chemisrty from his first games last year?
Boiler etc - January 9, 2012
he practiced with those guys all year. Maybe he didn't take first team reps but he played catch with them at least.
BroncoMath101 - January 10, 2012
We don't need to do that
The TE/RB we have on our roster now have probably been running routes and playing catch with Quinn as 2nd team for the whole year. Put Quinn and them in for a couple of clock-eating series.
But I suppose that is heresy. Far better to pull in a WR off the street
yibberat - January 9, 2012
Moss what a stupid suggestion
always broncs - January 9, 2012 via mobile
No going in with only 3 receivers is a stupid suggestion
Id rather have Moss or TO than some guys off our PS. Theyre there for a reason. Moss or TO have much more experience
Calikula - January 9, 2012
There would be one huge upside to taking Moss or TO off the street
NE is weak in the secondary. When a Randy Moss or TO trots onto the field, who do they pay the most attention to? Hell, even if the guy got no targets, it would stress their secondary in new and exciting (to me) ways.
The biggest downside is that we’d be signing Randy Moss or TO.
Vomit.
BroncosBassist - January 10, 2012
Ugh, yeah I know.
But desperate times call for desperate measures
Calikula - January 10, 2012
Who would we waive to make room for this new WR?
I am all for bringing Eron Riley back if we release someone or put Decker on IR but sounds like he’s day to day.
BroncoMath101 - January 9, 2012
Wonder if Tebow can throw a screen to himself?
boanst - January 9, 2012
This offense hasn't really been designed to use multiple receivers anyway
Might as well use the guys we have, or have had this year that we could resign. As fun as it would be to have T.O. or Moss, that just isn’t going to happen. Maybe there’s a receiver from Carolina the last few years thats FA right now that may know some of the system already?
boanst - January 9, 2012
its all good
the last Pats game we ran all over them till we got fumblites this time we hold onto the ball!!!
kanfan - January 9, 2012
We need to activate another receiver... but...
If we can beat the Steelers with the WRs currently on the active roster, I think we can beat the Patriots. As long as no one else gets hurt that is (which is why you activate a practice squad guy).
As for NEXT year… I wrote a whole blog about it last week, but I don’t see Elway & Fox spending a draft pick on a WR (maybe a TE), so I listed 8 WRs available as FAs this next year.
A lot of people said we’d never be able to coax a big-time FA WR to Denver because we don’t pass, but after last night’s performance, I think there are some that may want to be a part of the Mile High Magic that is going on!!!!
AlwaysRightSometimes - January 9, 2012
There are a lot of guys who believe in Tebow
He can recruit well – he did it for Florida, getting guys like Harvin to come play for that team. Granted, it’s not the same thing – but a lot of players want success and are willing to get aboard the Tebow train. He is a magnetic guy.
Summitgrad - January 9, 2012
I dont think TO would be too much for the FO
I think he settled for the Arena league
Calikula - January 9, 2012
CONGRATS GUYS!!!!
Hawks fan here. You guys made my month by beating the Steelers!!!! Good luck next week.
Corax --Nevermore-- - January 9, 2012
Thanks
Calikula - January 9, 2012
haha
I was sitting next to a Hawks fan watching the game at Buffalo Wild Wings. He was so eager and excited when we won, I forgot he wasn’t a Broncos fan!
Good luck next year, man. Broncos – Hawks in the old AFC West will always be a rivalry for the ages!
broncosmontana - January 9, 2012
TO and Moss are jokes
We don’t need that type of receiver – we need a solid, selfless, blocking WR. TO could be that guy on the field – but no team thinks he’s in NFL shape.
Moss catching Tebow bombs would be fun – but he wouldn’t fit in the team mentality at all. And he’s retired, and probably not in football shape.
Summitgrad - January 9, 2012
Just remember Royals rookie season...
he is awesome if he would just get more looks. Thomas is fine. Use the TE’s. We don’t need anyone else except to hedge against further injury.
MikG - January 10, 2012
Anyone see...
First and 10 today on ESPN? Skip seemed to believe Decker was a detriment to Tebow. I dont believe that but then again i dont believe much of what Skip says he is nuts.
gwbushby - January 10, 2012
Is Brandon Stokely available?
NYCBronx - January 10, 2012
We need Green on the line, so Julius Thomas needs to be activated
He was lights out catching balls in camp….line him up at WR and let him terrorize the NE DB’s!
Broncotodd - January 10, 2012
I voted 3rd option just because we dont run a lot of multiple receiver sets anyway.
Even if we do, Jeremiah Johnson goes slot a lot. Fells or Rosario can do in a pinch as well.
OR WE COULD POSSIBLY SEE JULIUS THOMAS. But probably not.
Teboner - January 10, 2012
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