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TE Robert Royal, Buffalo Bills

HT: 6-4, WT: 257, Born: 5-15-1978, College: LSU, Drafted: Round 5

2008 Projections

Best Case

Royal was signed to a 4-year contract a couple years ago and things have worked out pretty much as expected. He's an above-average blocker but not much of a threat in the passing game due to a lack of speed. Royal has good hands though and has been an effective weapon near the goal line with 6 TDs over the past two years. The team has a large group of players competing for the #2 TE job but Royal's status as the starter appears to be safe. Unless another TE emerges, he should be able to improve slightly on his numbers from the past two seasons.

Worst Case

The Bills have not done a very good job of using the TE in their offense in recent years. However, they did get some good production out of Michael Gaines last year after signing him as a free agent. He left to sign with the Lions this offseason and it's not clear yet exactly who will take his place among a group of candidates. If any of those other players can emerge as a better receiving threat than Royal, he could see his role reduced to being more of a blocker in a run-oriented offense.

Outlook

Given that the offensive system and personnel in Buffalo are not expected to undergo any dramatic changes, we can probably expect Royal to put up numbers very similar to those he put up in each of the past two seasons. Although the Bills wanted to add a receiving threat at the TE position this offseason, none of the players they brought in are likely to make an immediate impact.

2007 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Royal is a good blocker and that is where Buffalo needed him in this game.

Week 2 - Royal caught one five yard pass.

Week 3 - Royal was targeted once and did not make any catches. QB Trent Edwards targeted his tight ends only three times against the Patriots.

Week 4 - Royal caught all three of his targets. He was responsible for Buffalo's first turnover when he lost a fumble after a six yard gain early in the game.

Week 5 - Edwards looked for Royal in several key situations, and the big tight end came up with a couple of nice catch and runs. Royal had a 26 yard reception called back that would have given the Bills a first down at the Dallas 12 yard line with less than two minutes left in the first half.

Week 7 - Royal did not have any receptions.

Week 8 - Royal was the main receiving tight end for the Bills as he saw four total targets, catching two of them for 19 yards.

Week 9 - Royal caught a touchdown thrown by Marshawn Lynch in the fourth quarter. He split times with Michael Gaines.

Week 10 - The third TE was injured on his only target but did not hang onto the ball. No immediate word on the severity of his injury.

Week 12 - The Buffalo tight ends were kept in to block most of the afternoon, but Royal caught one pass for five yards.

Week 13 - Royal caught four of his five looks for mostly small gains.

Week 14 - Royal had the first two touchdown game of his career. Royal's first catch went for a 13 yard touchdown. Edwards next found Royal open on a deep post and hit him for a 28 yard touchdown. Royal med the play interesting by bobbling the ball twice before gaining control. Royal now has three touchdowns this season.

Week 15 - Royal, much like the rest of the receiving corps, failed to make any meaningful impact in the game, catching one pass for nine yards.

Week 16 - Royal was not targeted as often as Gaines, but the Bills go back and forth between these two from game to game.

Week 17 - The former Washington Redskins tight end continued to play a key role in this offense and led the team in receiving yards.