Royal is due to become an unrestricted free agent March 13 after a season in which he had career lows in receptions and yardage. Seemingly supplanted on the Broncos’ depth chart by 2010 draft picks Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, Royal’s primary value last year was as as reliable returner; in fact, his most crucial play of the regular season was a touchdown return at Oakland in Week 9 that broke a 24-all standoff in the fourth quarter.

DAVIS: ... ex-Panthers OL will compete for a backup slot.

Hill has one more season of experience than Royal, breaking into the league in 2007 as a draft pick of the 49ers. He also has a connection with Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Not only did Hill start 10 games for Del Rio before he was fired by the Jaguars, but Hill was cut by Jacksonville on Nov. 30 — one day after Del Rio was fired with a 3-8 record.

When the Jaguars jettisoned Hill, he already had career highs for receiving yardage (367) and receiving touchdowns (three). Those are modest totals, to be sure, but they easily outpaced Royal’s 2011 numbers in the same categories (155 and 1, respectively).

Among the 94 wide receivers who had at least 25 receptions in 2011, Hill ranked 37th in first-down percentage; 17 of his 25 catches (68 percent) made the line to gain. By comparison, Thomas hit the sticks on 75 percent of his catches; Decker did so 65.9 percent of the time.

THE SIGNING OF C.J. DAVIS could prove intriguing as the year develops.

Carolina invested two seasons of development in the former University of Pittsburgh guard, waiting out a rookie season spent on injured reserve and retaining him for the 2010 season. But when John Fox and offensive line coach Dave Magazu left, Davis wasn’t far behind, and didn’t make it out of the 2011 preseason. Carolina placed him on the waived/injured list last Sep. 5 and he didn’t play again in 2011.

The key issue with Davis are the free agents Denver has up front: backup guards Russ Hochstein and Manny Ramirez. If they depart, Davis could be in position to make the roster.

SYLVESTER: ... with the Broncos in the preseason and again in January.

DENVER – There aren’t many outposts left in the NFL where the fullback is a prominent part of the offense. Denver could be one, depending on how the Broncos’ evolving ground game develops.

But at minimum, the fact that the Broncos led the league in rushing last year indicates a commitment to the run, even though they decided they could play their two playoff games without a true fullback among their active 46-man game-day roster.

“They were killing it running the ball. There wasn’t much of a need to rely on anything else,” Sylvester said on Jan. 2. “(Most) everybody wants to pass first in this league, but it’s like anything else, when you go back to the ground zero rules of football: if you control the ground, you can control everything. You can do whatever you want from that point.

“I feel like this is the place to be for me.”

The Broncos waived Sylvester 11 days later when they needed to clear a roster spot for long snapper David Binn, who made a one-game fill-in cameo after regular snapper Lonie Paxton had to tend to a family emergency.

Wednesday, they brought Sylvester back.

He becomes the only fullback under contract for 2012 on the current roster, since Spencer Larsen is due to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13.

“Hopefully I can stick around here as long as possible because I really like it here,” Sylvester said during his last Broncos stint. “It’s whatever they’re willing to do, wherever direction we’re going in, I’m prepared for whatever.”

Sylvester only had one tryout during the regular season — an audition for the Buccaneers that resulted in a two-week stint on their practice squad before he was released again.

When he wasn’t with the Bucs or Broncos, Sylvester spent the season working out at Next Level Sports Performance in nearby Golden, Colo.

By Christmas, he had accepted that he wouldn’t receive another NFL contract until the season ended and someone signed him to a reserve-future deal. Then the Broncos called.

“I was kind of caught off-guard,” Sylvester said in January. “It was the day after Christmas — which happens to be my mom’s birthday — and I was talking to my mom to wish her a happy birthday, and then all of a sudden I switch over to the line and it’s (Broncos assistant director of pro personnel) Champ Kelly on the line.”

“I’m here to get an early start,” he said. “I want to dig into the film and I want to help my son (Luke, a well-recruited high-school quarterback) get settled. I’m eager to get going.”

Del Rio, who agreed to terms with the Broncos on Friday night, had all the vacation time he needed the last two months, since the Jaguars fired him after 11 games last season.

“I certainly had some time to sit back and reflect,” Del Rio said. “I’m very appreciative of the time I had down there (in Jacksonville) — nine wonderful years competing. It was a great place to raise a family, all that kind of thing. There was time to reflect on that and decompress a little bit, kind of unwind, and I did some of that.

“I find myself rejuvenated. I’m very excited about the opportunity here, to come to Denver, this franchise and this organization. That’s why I’m here.”

There was no financial gain from Del Rio taking the job now. Any money he earns from the Broncos is deducted from the $5 million the Jaguars will pay him this year, since he had one season left on his contract there.

Del Rio considered taking 2012 off — and was encouraged to do so by friends in other lines of work, he admitted. However, he jumped at the chance to reunite with his former boss, John Fox, join an organization he admired and move to a town that is a “good fit” for his family.

“I love to compete, I love being around ball. It’s not about the money,” Del Rio said.

AS HE BEGINS WORKING AT DOVE VALLEY, ONE AREA DEL RIO will examine closely is the Broncos’ defensive tackle complement. Starters Brodrick Bunkley and Marcus Thomas held up reasonably well most of the season, but both are unrestricted free agents.

Defensive tackles have always been a core of Del Rio’s defenses, which he learned in Baltimore when he was a linebackers coach for the Ravens from 1999-2001. The 2000 defense, which led the Ravens to their only world championship, is widely regarded as one of the best in modern NFL history.

“Certainly, when I was in Baltimore, we had an outstanding defense and we had a couple of really good tackles (Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa),” Del Rio said. “If you’re going to play that four-man front, having two (quality) guys in the middle really allows you to do things.

“That carried over to Carolina the one year I was with John,” continued Del Rio. During the 2002 season, the Panthers featured Brentson Buckner and Kris Jenkins as the defensive tackles; they were flanked by ends Mike Rucker and Julius Peppers. That defensive line helped power the Panthers to the No. 2 defensive ranking in 2002 and a Super Bowl appearance one year after Del Rio’s departure.

“And then into Jacksonville when we were really good on defense early in my time there (with defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson) and then this past year we were really good when Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu were two forces in the middle.” Del Rio added. “That definitely helps when you’re playing a 4-3.”

The Broncos will get injured defensive tackles Kevin Vickerson and Ty Warren back for next season. However, Warren hasn’t played a game since 2009, and it appears unlikely he would be asked to be anything more than a rotational player until he shows he can remain injury-free for longer than a few weeks.

DEL RIO WILL BEGIN HIS EVALUATIONS this week in relative solitude. Not only are coaches not around, but he wants to study the game footage of his players before he speaks with them individually.

“Not that I’m avoiding anybody, I just haven’t reached out yet,” he said. “I want to dig into the film and talk to the coaches about the scheme. Then there will be a time that I reach out to the players.”

Among the players on whom decisions must be reached soon are Bunkley, Thomas, defensive end Jason Hunter, middle linebacker Joe Mays, outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard and safety Brian Dawkins. All are unrestricted free agents.

Hours later, he and the Broncos had their man.

Ex-Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio will become the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, agreeing to terms with the club on Friday night. The hire reunites him with John Fox, who gave Del Rio his first — and only previous — defensive coordinator job in 2002.

In that one season together, Del Rio and Fox guided one of the most remarkable single-season improvements for a defense in league history, improving Carolina’s unit from 31st in the league rankings to second. The Panthers also improved from 28th to fifth in scoring defense, allowing 6.7 fewer points per game.

Del Rio’s work drew such attention that he was immediately hired by the Jaguars after the season — a situation that was paralleled this month when Dennis Allen parlayed his Broncos work into the Raiders’ head-coaching job.

“We are thrilled to be able to add such a well-respected defensive coach to our staff,” Fox said in a statement. “He was an integral part of our turnaround on defense during my first year with the Panthers in 2002.”

Del Rio guided the Jaguars to a pair of playoff appearances and three winning seasons in his eight-plus years as head coach, but the club struggled after 2007, a year in which the Jaguars went 11-5 and scored a wild-card win at Pittsburgh. That offseason, Del Rio’s defensive coordinator, Mike Smith, was hired by Atlanta as its head coach. The following year, Jacksonville crashed to a 5-11 finish, but improved to 7-9 in 2009 and 8-8 in 2010 before crumbling to a 3-8 record in 2011 before Del Rio was fired.

In Del Rio’s final season, the Jaguars’ defense improved from 28th to sixth in the league’s defensive rankings.

“(I) think Del Rio was a great piece added to our team,” cornerback Cassius Vaughn tweeted.

“I knew we would hire a good one,” defensive end Robert Ayers tweeted.

Perhaps the ultimate testament of Del Rio’s desire to work with Fox again — and vice versa — is in the finances of the arrangement. Del Rio will earn no more money for coaching the Broncos than he would have by sitting out 2011. Del Rio had one year left on his Jaguars contract when he was fired in November, and anything he earns from the Broncos will be deducted by the same amount from his Jaguars contract.

Del Rio wasn’t the only ex-Jaguars coach hired by the Broncos on Friday; they named Jacksonville’s former strength and conditioning coach, Luke Richesson, to the same position. Richesson worked under Del Rio from 2009-11.

Perhaps the only question now for the Broncos is this: can they keep this defensive coordinator more than one year? Del Rio becomes the Broncos’ seventh defensive coordinator in as many seasons, following Larry Coyer (fired after 2006), Jim Bates (2007), Bob Slowik (2008), Mike Nolan (2009), Don “Wink” Martindale (2010) and Allen.

“Love the hire, just hope we can keep him around,” said safety Brian Dawkins via Twitter.

If Jeff Fuller wants to make an impression, he'll have to do a better job catching passes downfield than he has this week. Here, a catchable pass slips away. Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama is in coverage. (PHOTO: ANDREW MASON / MAXDENVER.COM)

• Mason discusses the Senior Bowl and the Broncos’ vacancy at defensive coordinator with Renaud Notaro on Mile High Sports Radio
• Mason discusses the same topics with Brandon Spano on Mile High Sports Radio

MOBILE, Ala. – A few player notes from the South team’s third practice of Senior Bowl week, held at Ladd-Peebles Stadium here on Wednesday:

• DT BRANDON THOMPSON, CLEMSON: Had the best day not only among South team defensive tackles, but for the entire defensive line. He threw blockers out of his way, showed power and quickness off the snap and possesses multiple effective moves to beat an offensive lineman.  What is most promising, however, is his strength in the pass rush, shedding the notion that he was simply a run-stuffer.  It will be a shock if he doesn’t go in the first round.
• LB SEAN SPENCE, MIAMI (FLA.) Is excellent at reading a run play as it develops. He plays with patience; he waits for a gap and then shoots for it to fill it — and sometimes blow up a run at the handoff, which he did twice Wednesday.  Spence continues to find his way onto my notepad and my dictated notes more often than I realize during practice.
• CB JANORIS JENKINS, NORTH ALABAMA: Jenkins’s default setting is to aggressive, physical play, which can get him in trouble and still leaves him susceptible to big plays when his ample speed and athleticism aren’t enough to allow him to recover — as was the case when Jeff Fuller beat him deep.
• O: CORDY GLENN, GEORGIA: Based on this week’s practices, he is most ready-to-play offensive tackle among those in this year’s Senior Bowl. As other tackles have struggled with their balance, he’s done a fine job keeping his footing. He holds up well against a bull rush, but is susceptible to being beat on the oustside, as Quinton Coples did to set up a sack of Arizona QB Nick Foles during Wednesday’s practice.  Glenn, however, got the better of Coples during one-on-one work.
• QB BRANDON WEEDEN, OKLAHOMA STATE: Wednesday was just another solid all-around day for the most polished quarterback at this year’s game. He said after practice that he had spoken with the Broncos this week, but they were among “about 29 or 30 teams” with which he’d chatted. If the Senior Bowl gave MVP awards based on practices, Weeden would win. That being said, Weeden did have a deep pass for Dwight Jones get a bit hung up as the wind increased behind him.
• QBs RYAN LINDLEY, SAN DIEGO STATE AND NICK FOLES, ARIZONA: Neither looked comfortable, and their struggles were amplified by Weeden’s continued emergence. Lindley, however, is better at feeling an oncoming pass rush and getting away than Foles, who continues to freeze and take too many sacks when pressured from the edges instead of rolling out.
• WRs JEFF FULLER, TEXAS A&M AND DWIGHT JONES, NORTH CAROLINA: I package these two because of their similar skill sets and physical traits — and level of struggle. Jones hasn’t displayed persistence to fight for a pass in tight coverage, and Fuller has trouble with drops and separation. Fuller did make some nice grabs in a red-zone seven-on-seven period and had the afore-mentioned catch at Jenkins’s expense; if Fuller can apply the success on the compressed field to the rest of it, he’ll have a shot at success. Jones, however, has appeared to regress since an impressive Monday.

MARTIN: ... most complete running back in Mobile this week. (PHOTO: ANDREW MASON / MAXDENVER.COM)

• Mason discusses the Senior Bowl and the Broncos’ vacancy at defensive coordinator with Renaud Notaro on Mile High Sports Radio
• Mason discusses the same topics with Brandon Spano on Mile High Sports Radio

MOBILE, Ala. – Notes on some of the North team players and their work during practice Wednesday morning at Ladd-Peebles Stadium here:

• RB DOUG MARTIN, BOISE STATE: He’s become the best of the running backs here, not just because of what he’s done, but also because of Chris Polk’s struggles. As the Washington Huskies running back has struggled to handle incoming linebackers in one-on-one drills and find holes in team and nine-on-seven periods, Martin has excelled, showing a decisive burst to the hole, holding up better than expected in blocking drills and displaying a somewhat unexpected ability to gain separation downfield. When Martin has been covered on a post or flag route by a linebacker, he’s dominated, gaining multiple steps of separation, then catching everything in sight cleanly and crisply. Martin might not be in the first-round mix yet, but he’s joined the mix of second-tier running backs behind Alabama’s Trent Richardson, a group that includes early entries Lamar Miller of Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech’s David Wilson. Polk, meanwhile, appears to have slid to the third tier of this year’s running back class.
• TE EMIL IGWENAGU, MASSACHUSETTS: I’ve written and said little about the tight ends this week, because they haven’t distinguished themselves much in team periods, and at this point, none look like elite prospects in the making. But Igwenagu is the most intriguing of the tight ends on the North side, in part because he’s raw, but also because he has some physicality and separation ability. He showed this in a one-on-one duel with Boise State safety George Iloka, who’s enjoyed a fine week but got shoved to one side by Igwenague, who used his left arm to get three yards of separation on a crossing route, which he used to make an easy reception.
• DT KENDALL REYES, CONNECTICUT: We’ve touched upon Reyes’s footwork and quickness, which hasn’t been adversely affected by the 55 pounds the 300-pounder added to his frame during this matriculation in Storrs, Conn. Wednesday, he displayed his power, bull-rushing offensive linemen and getting the better of one-on-one drills on a consistent basis. He did struggle at times against the run; he was pushed out of the play by a single blocker on a too-frequent basis. DT Mike Martin of Michigan doesn’t have the same problem; this is why Martin is the best at his position on the North team this week.
• LB JAMES-MICHAEL JOHNSON, NEVADA: Against the run, he’s showed flashes of brilliance, twice bursting through gaps to stuff runners behind the line of scrimmage — in one case engulfing the afore-mentioned Martin before he had a chance to do anything.
• QB RUSSELL WILSON, WISCONSIN: Wilson accounts for his short stature by jumping as he throws — not too high, but enough to help him fire the football over the offensive line. It could be dangerous, but given Wilson’s innate feel for the pass rush — he has had no problem eluding opposing defensive linemen when pressured — it isn’t as big a problem as it might first seem.
• WR BRIAN QUICK, APPALACHIAN STATE: The epitome of a raw prospect — he didn’t play high-school football until his senior year and before that hadn’t put on the pads since his pee-wee years — Quick’s route-running has palpably improved this week. He had fewer dropped passes Wednesday than Tuesday.

Bill Bentley lunges for an interception Tuesday. (PHOTO: ANDREW MASON / MAXDENVER.COM)

MOBILE, Ala. – Notes from the South team’s Tuesday afternoon Senior Bowl practice, held at Ladd-Peebles Stadium:

• CB BILL BENTLEY, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE: Although Janoris Jenkins emerged as the most physically dominant cornerback on the South roster Tuesday, Bentley might be the sleeper. He broke up one pass for Dwight Jones and intercepted a pass intended for Jeff Fuller. The 176-pound Bentley gives up 41 pounds to Fuller and 50 pounds to Jones, but his tenacity and quickness allowed him to earn the upper hand.
• WR DWIGHT JONES, NORTH CAROLINA: Maybe it was the pads, maybe it was just a bad day, but Jones didn’t build on his solid Monday. The cornerbacks were prepared for his presence, and he got no separation off the line of scrimmage against press coverage — and sometimes let the smaller cornerbacks get the better of him physically, something that should rarely, if ever, happen for a 226-pound receiver as solidly built as Jones. It wasn’t the best of practices for the entire receiving corps of the South team; only Arkansas’ 5-foot-10, 190-pound Joe Adams consistently got separation during seven-on-seven and team drills.
• WR JURON CRINER, ARIZONA: He’s made some plays deep in each of the last two practices and moves fluidly, but at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he needs to be more effective on short-to-intermediate routes, where he’s struggled.
• QB BRANDON WEEDEN, OKLAHOMA STATE: If you didn’t know that he turned 28 years old last October, you’d have him pegged as a top-10 pick. Weeden is the most complete quarterback here; he’s adapted well to working under center and is consistent in his accuracy to all areas of the field. It’s not hard to envision him being an immediate NFL starter — which would benefit his draft stock immensely, since his viability rests on becoming useful as something more than a backup as quickly as possible.
• QB RYAN LINDLEY, SAN DIEGO STATE: Appeared to tighten up his footwork during Tuesday’s practice, but the pressure from the South’s defensive line in team drills forced him into checkdown mode. Although is arm strength doesn’t match that of Arizona’s Nick Foles, Lindley is more consistent; Foles continued to misfire after struggling Monday..
• DE MELVIN INGRAM, SOUTH CAROLINA: Quinton Coples remains the standout defensive end, but Ingram’s array of moves — including some swim moves and a bull-rush — and quick burst helped him win most of the one-on-one duels from both the left and right side.

Dennis Allen's prize pupil, Von Miller, helped spur the turnaround that propelled Allen from first-year coordinator to NFL head coach.

MOBILE, Ala. – Whoever replaces Dennis Allen as Broncos defensive coordinator has a tough act to follow — and will inherit a defense that is still in the midst of a rebuilding process.

Under Allen’s watch, the Broncos’ defense improved from dead last in the league to 20th, and featured four Pro Bowlers, the most for the Broncos defense since 1996: cornerback Champ Bailey, safety Brian Dawkins, linebacker Von Miller and defensive end Elvis Dumervil.

But it’s also a defense with question marks. Dawkins is pondering retirement and has an expiring contract. Both starting defensive tackles (Brodrick Bunkley and Marcus Thomas) and two key linebackers (Joe Mays and Wesley Woodyard) are set for free agency. Andre’ Goodman’s contract could be in line for renegotiation, as Dawkins’s was last summer.

Further, this was a defense that buckled under early- and late-season injuries. It conceded 41 and 45 points to the Patriots during the last five weeks — although it accounted for just 49 points allowed in the other three games during that span (losses to Buffalo and Kansas City and a playoff win over Pittsburgh).

When the defense’s starters were healthy — as was the case from Week 7-12 — it held opponents below 20 points five times and to an average of 17.7 points per game in that span.

There’s much to like about the defense. Miller’s potential appears boundless. Dumervil is in his prime and appears back to form after missing 2010 with a torn pectoral muscle. Bailey has avoided major injury to this point in his career and remains an elite cornerback. Linebacker D.J. Williams enjoyed a solid 2011, and rookies Quinton Carter and Chris Harris invigorated the secondary.

Overall, this is a plum job. Even though Fox is a defensive coach, he allows his coordinators autonomy to tweak the scheme to their liking.

But who will that be?

Expect the Broncos’ seventh defensive coordinator in as many seasons to be one of these men:

JACK DEL RIO

• CURRENT POSITION: None, most recently Jacksonville’s head coach.
• COORDINATOR EXPERIENCE: 2002, Carolina Panthers.
• FOX CONNECTION: Was his defensive coordinator in 2002 with the Panthers.
• BREAKDOWN: It would be no surprise if the job is his to turn down … Never has a Fox defense played as brilliantly as it did when Del Rio was the defensive coordinator. He jumped aboard Fox’s first staff after serving as the Ravens’ linebackers coach from 1999-2001 and transformed the league’s worst defense into the No. 2-ranked unit a year later … While the selection of Julius Peppers in the 2002 NFL Draft helped, Del Rio also incorporated a slew of previously acquired players such as defensive end Mike Rucker, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, linebacker Dan Morgan and safety Mike Minter. The defense held opponents below 300 total yards eight times that season. … Del Rio parlayed that into a head-coaching job in Jacksonville that lasted eight-plus seasons before he was fired. The fit appears logical; he and Fox worked well together. But Del Rio doesn’t need to coach; he could take a year off and not hurt his reputation or career one iota.  However, if Del Rio wants to return to the head-coaching ranks, the Broncos’ promising personnel would seem to offer a perfect springboard.

SMITH: ... veteran coach who worked with John Fox in Carolina before joining him with the Broncos.

RICHARD SMITH

• CURRENT POSITION: Linebackers coach, Denver Broncos.
• COORDINATOR EXPERIENCE: 2005, Miami Dolphins; 2006-08, Houston Texans.
• FOX CONNECTION: Was his linebackers coach in 2009-10 with the Panthers and followed him to Denver.
• BREAKDOWN: Probably the most logical in-house candidate, given his coordinator experience and his status as one of the Panthers coaches Fox imported to Denver last year … Von Miller frequently gave Smith credit for pushing him to his successful, likely-defensive-rookie-of-the-year campaign … Worked as a linebackers and special teams coach for the Broncos under then-head coach Wade Phillips in 1993-94 and remained with the special teams for Mike Shanahan’s first two years as head coach (1995-96) … During his three years as Texans defensive coordinator, only three teams gave up more touchdowns on defense than Houston’s 120 (Detroit 147, St. Louis 129, Arizona 123).

KEN FLAJOLE

• CURRENT POSITION: None, most recently St. Louis’s defensive coordinator.
• COORDINATOR EXPERIENCE: 2009-11, St. Louis Rams; 1996-97, University of Nevada; 1995, University of Richmond.
• FOX CONNECTION: Was his linebackers coach in Carolina from 2003-08.
• BREAKDOWN: Appears poised to rejoin his Rams boss, Steve Spagnuolo, as the Saints’ linebackers coach; Spagnuolo was recently appointed as defensive coordinator, replacing Gregg Williams … His defense finished 22nd in the league in 2011 as it was beset by injuries, particularly at cornerback, where 10 players were injured at various points in a doomed 2-14 season.

MIKE TRGOVAC

• CURRENT POSITION: Defensive line coach, Green Bay Packers.
• COORDINATOR EXPERIENCE: 2003-08, Carolina Panthers.
• FOX CONNECTION: Defensive line coach 2002; defensive coordinator 2003-08.
• BREAKDOWN: Fox’s longest-tenured defensive coordinator; he was Fox’s defensive boss for six of the head coach’s 10 seasons … He and the Panthers mutually parted ways when his contract expired at the end of the 2008 season; the Panthers closed that season allowing 30-plus points in five of their last seven games, an average of 29.6 per game. During that span, the Panthers allowed 390 yards per game..

BRIAN BAKER

• CURRENT POSITION: Defensive line coach, Dallas Cowboys.
• COORDINATOR EXPERIENCE: 1995, Georgia Tech.
• FOX CONNECTION: Was his defensive line coach in 2009-10.
• BREAKDOWN: Baker fits the mold of Del Rio and Allen — men who were poised to take the next step forward after years as position coaches in the NFL … Has served as a position coach in the NFL for the last 16 seasons, 14 of them spent as defensive line coach and two (2002-03) as a defensive line coach … An intense teacher, but consciously avoids swearing at his players.