Even after the signing of Robert Meachem, the Chargers are looking to add to their wide receiving corps. What better way to do that than take a guy from a division rival who's given you fits in recent years?
Former Denver Broncos WR Eddie Royal came to San Diego to talk to the Chargers on Thursday. They didn't give him a chance to leave. Royal took a physical, and has agreed to a 3-year contract with the Chargers.
Royal also had an offer from his home town Washington Redskins, but the chance to play with Philip Rivers instead of a rookie QB was apparently too much to pass up.
Between duties as a wide receiver and kick returner, Royal has scored 12 career touchdowns. Three of them have come against the Chargers. In his rookie season, Royal caught 91 passes for 980 yards, but in the three years since he's averaged less than 40 catches a year. Why the drop in production?
As a rookie his quarterback was pass-happy Jay Cutler. After that it's been Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. Put him back with an elite QB and Royal, even if he is the 4th option for the Chargers (behind Malcom Floyd, Vincent Brown and Robert Meachem) should put up above-average numbers again.
So, if you combine Royal and Meachem, the Chargers actually have more production than they did in Vincent Jackson and Patrick Crayton. As Brad Pitt said when he played Billy Beane in the movie Moneyball, if you can't replace the production of one superstar, "We'll make it up in the aggregate."
