The Redskins' signing of free agent wide receiver Eddie Royal was first reported earlier Tuesday afternoon by Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan, but it took nearly an hour for anyone to actually nail down the terms of the deal. Finally, Mike Jones of the Washington Post came through.
Royal signed for $12 million over two years, the person said.
The former Virginia Tech standout was drafted 42nd overall by Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan in 2008 when Shanahan was the head coach in Denver. That season, Royal had a career-high 91 catches for 980 yards and five touchdowns.
Royal also is a talented punt returner who averaged 16.2 yards per runback last season.
By this point, it should be pretty clear what Washington's plan is. The Redskins obviously weren't happy with the receiving corps in 2011. It's hard to blame them considering the injury to Leonard Hankerson, the continued aging of Santana Moss, and the slumping of Anthony Armstrong and Brandon Banks. Banks should be particularly worried by this signing since, as Jones points out, Royal is an experienced punt returner.
Stay tuned to SB Nation D.C. for more information on the 2012 NFL Free Agency period. For all your Redskins news and notes, be sure to follow SB Nation's Redskins blog Hogs Haven. For all nuggets from around the league, be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub.
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