1st round pick Demaryius Thomas and 3rd round pick Eric Decker could be the top 2 receivers for the Broncos in 2010 and that’s not really a bad thing when you look at the rest of the WR corps. Head Coach Josh McDaniels got his way once again with the trade of Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins but make no mistake, they are going to miss him big time. Thomas has a awesome skill set as he’s big and fast but he played at Georgia Tech which wasn’t a passing team. Eric Decker has outstanding hands and he’s a big guy too. He fits as more of a possession type.
29-year old Jabar Gaffney is a McDaniels’ favorite as they were together in New England. That means he will get a lot of work in 2010. Gaffney played in 16 games (7 starts) for the Broncos last season and he caught 54 passes for 732 yards (13.6 avg) with 2 TD grabs. He has now played in 123 games (77 starts) in his 8 years in the NFL and he has caught 310 passes for 3,800 yards (12.3 avg) with 17 TD grabs. Gaffney would be best used as the #3 or #4 receiver in 2010.
34-year old Brandon Stokley appears to be nearing the end of his NFL career. He played in 16 games (2 starts) for the Broncos last season and he caught 19 passes for 327 yards (17.2 avg) with 4 TD grabs. Stokley has now played in 118 games (35 starts) in his 11 years in the NFL and he has caught 307 passes for 4,319 yards (14.1 avg) with 34 TD grabs. Stokley will likely be the #4 or #5 WR in 2010 if he makes the team.
24-year old Eddie Royal got into the Broncos’ Dog House last season but he still has the potential to be the best WR on the roster. Royal played in 14 games (12 starts) for the Broncos last season and he caught 37 passes for 345 yards (9.3 avg) without a TD. Royal has now played in 29 games (27 starts) in his two years with the Broncos and he has caught 128 passes for 1,325 yards (10.4 avg) with 5 TD grabs. He has also carried the ball 12 times for 110 yards (9.2 ypc) for the Broncos. Royal has a nice upside and the Broncos would be stupid not to use him more in the passing game this season.
29-year old Brandon Lloyd better come to play this summer in training camp if he wants to make the Broncos in 2010. Lloyd played in 2 games (1 start) for the Broncos last season and he caught 8 passes for 117 yards (14.6 avg). Lloyd has now played in 81 games (48 starts) in his 7 years in the NFL and he has caught 164 passes for 2,370 yards (14.5 avg) with 15 TD grabs.
PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BRONCOS WRs in 2010: C-