Broncos Re-Sign TE Eric Saubert to One-Year Deal
After drafting a tight end on Day 2 in UCLA’s Greg Dulcich at pick 80 overall, the Denver Broncos have gone back to the well by adding additional reinforcements to the position for the 2022 season. The Broncos re-signed sixth-year tight end Eric Saubert after a solid 2021 campaign as a depth contributor.
Saubert was drafted in 2017 out of the small-school Drake University in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons. After a strong showing at the 2017 Shrine Bowl, he was called up to the Senior Bowl to better show that even though he played football in the Pioneer Football League, he had the body type and athleticism to hang in the NFL.
Measuring in at 6-foot-5 and, 253 pounds with a 33-½-inch arm length, Saubert tested well in the 40-yard dash (4.69s) as well as showing explosiveness in his vertical jump (33 inches) and broad jump (121 inches). He never really cracked the Falcons' starting lineup in 2017-2018, nor could he with the Chicago Bears in 2019, and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.
Saubert's largest volume of snaps came in 2018 when he saw the field on 178 total offensive plays. He did contribute on special teams with 659 snaps from 2017.
After earning praise for his ability in training camp and preseason for the Broncos last year, including hauling in five receptions for 74 yards in the preseason, Saubert saw the field for 290 offensive snaps and 302 special teams reps in 2021 (237 if one only includes the “core four” of special teams, thus excluding field goal blocking reps).
Saubert was mainly utilized as a primary blocking option for the Broncos last season. 210 of his 290 reps tasked him with either run or pass blocking according to Pro Football Focus.
Saubert did haul in eight passes for 47 yards and one touchdown last season. He showed that while his main contributions are in blocking and special teams, he can catch the ball when called upon.
After the Broncos traded away Noah Fant to Seattle in the Russell Wilson deal, the team entered the offseason with ample questions at the tight end position with just Albert Okuwegbunam, Andrew Beck, and Shaun Beyer as the team’s options at tight end.
However, after signing the free-agent Eric Tomlinson to function as a versatile and dominant blocking option (ranking as PFF's second-best run-blocking tight end last season with a 77.3 grade and the 11th-best pass-blocking grade at 71.1 ), and drafting Dulcich to function as a passing threat with some developmental upside to turn into a more all-around player, it does seem a tad surprising to see Denver bring back Saubert.
Of note, the Broncos did work out veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph before the draft but instead opted to bring back Saubert. It seems the Broncos were looking for a tight end that could not only help provide better blocking, but offer special teams upside as well after bolstering the room's receiving upside in the draft.
It’s certainly possible Saubert doesn’t find his way to the roster when the team makes its final cuts prior to the regular season, but he joins the parade of 2021 Broncos hitting free agency this offseason only to find themselves back in Denver for 2022.
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