Royal pushing for starting job
 

[b]from fanball.com[/b]

[b]The News
[/b]Redskins' tight end [url="http://www.fanball.com/fb/playerProfile.cfm/pid.1588"][color=#0000ff]Robert Royal[/color][/url] is hopeful that he played well enough late in the season to earn the starting job in 2005. "A lot of things always happen in the offseason, but hopefully next season I'll fit in at the same place I left off at and that's as a starter," Royal told the Redskins' official website. "But I never worry about stuff like that. I let the coaches go out there and make the best decision they can. I just go out there and play hard." Royal finished the season with four touchdown receptions.

[b]Our View
[/b]The second-year tight end scored all four touchdowns during the final five weeks of the season, so he clearly earned the trust of quarterback [url="http://www.fanball.com/fb/playerProfile.cfm/pid.1563"][color=#0000ff]Patrick Ramsey[/color][/url] in red zone situations.

I'm a fan of Robert Royal, I think if he can get a little bigger he could be what the team needs.

I am too. He does make the clutch catch when he's needed.

Robert Royal has potential but he has to upgrade his game a whole lot before he becomes the starter on any team that is serious about being a factor in the playoffs. And what has to improve in his game by a ton is his blocking.

Royal caught 4 TDs in the final games of the season and that's very good. In those games where he caught the 4 TD pases, he caught exactly ZERO other passes. In the whole season he caught a total of 8 passes and in no game did he catch more than 1 pass. Here's what that means:


Most of the time he is on the field, the Skins need him to block and to run patterns where he keeps some defender away from the guy who is the primary receiver.


Royal's blocking needs to improve to be labeled "barely adequate".

So, if he hopes to be a starter next year and continue his "great chemistry" with Patrick Ramsey, he needs to spend a LOT of time with Joe Bugel and the folks who teach offensive line technique so that he is an effective blocker when the Skins need him to do that. As of January 05, he is not effective in that part of the game at all.

I agree with that synopsis, I would however, like to see a young TE brought in to push Royal a bit, and let them fight it out in training camp.

He is big and has big hands. His blocking is so-so and will need to work on it. Route running could use a little more help but over all I'm happy with the way he has developed.

let us not forget that he has been injured most of his career so it will be interesting to see if he can just stay healthy

Hey the guy has hands. He can catch. I just think that he needs to be a little more aggresive. Hope I spelled that right. But anyway. He will improve over the break. He seems to want to start. So he will try harder

I do agree that he needs to work on his blocking, but I just like the fact that he seems to come through with a needed 1st down or touchdown.

If he puts on another 10 lbs. damn he be tough

Royal showed promise this year and he finally stayed healthy. Hopefully he can continue to develop next year. At the worst we have a quality target in the redzone.

Exactly, and who's to say he can't alternate with a better blocking TE in a 2-TE set.

Oh that would reek havak on the other lline. Just think if we had 3 TE's....oh the possibilities are endless. If that ever happened then we would have a good offence like the Pats

The Royal "news" is kind of funny - of course he's going to aim to be a starter. You aren't likely to see a news item saying, "Royal shoots for second string - but will accept practice squad, or being waived with signed thank you from Coach Gibbs."

But that's what the writers put out in late January in a non playoff year.

It's gripping news... I'm on the edge of my seat to see what's next!

Matt Jones from Arkansas could be a sleeper TE/WR/HB/FB/RB tweener that could become a special player in the right offense. Maybe ours?

Just like Cooley...

is it just me or do any of u all have the joy of a royal td ruined a little by his "special" dancing skillz? and I'm sure Gibbs and Bugel can find another young late round or undrafted te that could produce in a year or 2 in multiple ways.

Hey guys - Don't get too excited. He was a Spurrier pick in the draft!

I believe last year he made one or two really great catches. As far as size and blocking goes, he's below the average. I'd like to see us get another TE, even though I think Royal has a large upside, we need a larger, blocking TE. Double TE sets you could run Royal out as a receiver, or keep him at the line. I think that's where he'd be most dangerous. I'd like to see some films of how well he's able to release defenders and get up the seam.

Ok I might be wrong but don't we have 5 TE now? Royal and Cooley at the top. If both bulked up then we could have some serious playing going on there.

I see people saying Royal needs to "bulk up", the guy goes 6'4 260 how much more weight should the guy put on?? If he puts on more weight he'll probably lose what decent speed he has.

The thing is. Is that he doesnt look 260 now does he? He looks more like 230

But then I am blind.........lol

Well he is 6'4 so that's probably why he doesn't look 260

My brother is 6'4 and he looks verymuch like he is 260 and he works out like a football player. he's huge.

Cooley is an Hback - which means we normally have Hback and one TE in at the same time. We have to pull Cooley out for 2 TE sets, extra WRs etc

I understand that but didnt he play in the TE spot. Isn't that what Biggs said what Cooley would do. Be versitile.

Either way, I want a blocking TE, Cooley nor Royal fit that description.

Who do you think would be the best blocking TE we could pick up? I haven't looked too much at the draft charts for TEs.

There isn't many TE comming out not good ones anyway.

how bout Heath Miller-TE-Virginia* He had a very good year

There's a guy from USC who's a boat. I posted him earlier, I can't remember his name. It's not byrd, but another guy. We can grab him in the 6th/7th round and he'd be a great addition to our offensive line. He's big, somewhat slow, but a great blocker with good hands.

If he is slow how would he handle a peppers or somebody of his caliber?

Who would put him on Peppers? He's not overly slow, for a lineman, I'm sure he's plenty fast enough, he just doesn't run a quick 40. You act like we got up against Peppers on a regular basis. If a team has a premier DE let Samuels or jansen handle him, with perhaps some RB/TE help. Don't ever put a TE on a premier DE for more than a play here and there.

I think Miller is a first round prospect. Someone will nab him during the first round.

[QUOTE=TheMalcolmConnection]I think Miller is a first round prospect. Someone will nab him during the first round.[/QUOTE]

yeah a lot of people have him being gone when the lions pick.

The Lions are getting to be loaded on the offensive front. Now only if they could find a consistent QB... Hmmmmmmmmm...

[QUOTE=Daseal]Who would put him on Peppers? He's not overly slow, for a lineman, I'm sure he's plenty fast enough, he just doesn't run a quick 40. You act like we got up against Peppers on a regular basis. If a team has a premier DE let Samuels or jansen handle him, with perhaps some RB/TE help. Don't ever put a TE on a premier DE for more than a play here and there.[/QUOTE]

Umm, the old ball coach did things like that. Simeon Rice sound familiar?

;)

I don't see Royal securing the starting spot next season. He's not terrible, but he is below average in most aspects of the game. He is fine as a backup, but no more.

Barring a great improvement during the offseason, I don't anticipate Gibbs giving the starting job to Royal. Remember last season when Gibbs was considering taking Kellen Winslow #5 in the draft? That tells me that he is looking for a stud TE, not only to block but also to catch a good number of passes and to attract attention from the defense. Despite his surge in production late in the season, I think it is a fair assessment that Robert Royal won't exactly strike fear in his opponents this coming season. I know that TE is not our biggest need, but I anticipate Gibbs will look to upgrade the position via free agency.

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I think we should look to pry Wiggins away from the vikes I believe they only signed him to a one year deal, To bad we couldn't hook up Kleinsasser last year granted he got hurt but he is a great blocker.