Eric Saubert impressing Broncos coaches with physicality, playmaking as tight end and special teams pillar

Over 40 vocation games crossed 4 seasons successful Atlanta, Chicago and Jacksonville, Eric Saubert established himself arsenic a reliable reserve choky extremity and peculiar teams player.

He’s cemented that rep, and past some, arsenic the Broncos’ caller No. 3 choky extremity acknowledgment to a beardown grooming campy and preseason performance. Saubert’s shown capable for manager Vic Fangio to state the seasoned “a bully addition” to an already-talented Denver choky extremity room.

“He’s decidedly a feline you tin archer has played successful the NFL,” Fangio said. “He likes football, he’s tough, he’s competitive, he’s a bully teammate.”

Special teams manager Tom McMahon singled Saubert retired for his business-like attack and on-field aggressiveness since signing with the Broncos connected May 3. McMahon said Saubert volition beryllium a halfway subordinate connected each of Denver’s peculiar teams units successful 2021.

“It’s hard to find a choky extremity who tin tally similar him, and he’s arsenic carnal arsenic a linebacker,” McMahon said. “He tin shed (blocks), helium does each azygous happening you inquire him to do, he’s prepared. He comes into the (special teams) gathering rooms and each the guys spot his notebook. And he’s conscionable mean connected the field.

“That’s what you request — you request a carnal feline that’s your 3rd choky end. And helium accepts his role, helium loves his relation and helium wants to beryllium the champion choky extremity successful the league connected peculiar teams.”

Saubert, who has 10 catches for 85 yards and zero TDs successful his career, has been reunited with Broncos choky extremity manager Wade Harman, who was Saubert’s positional manager for 2 seasons with the Falcons. Despite his way grounds of being mostly a blocker, Saubert — who has 4 catches for 54 yards successful 2 preseason games with Denver — didn’t regularisation retired getting immoderate targets from backmost Teddy Bridgewater.

“I conscionable emotion moving with this country and moving with Wade,” Saubert said. “Where that (exact role) leads, I don’t cognize yet, but I’m excited for it.”

At 27, Saubert is the oldest subordinate successful a Broncos choky extremity country headlined by 23-year-olds Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam. Austin Fort, 26, is besides inactive connected the roster, arsenic is undrafted escaped cause Shaun Beyer, 24, and fullback/tight extremity hybrid Andrew Beck, 25.

Fort says Saubert’s property and acquisition has translated to leadership.

“He’s been our vet feline since helium got here,” Fort explained. “He’s conscionable been a rock. He knows what it takes to beryllium palmy successful the league and to enactment around, he’s a hard worker, he’s consistent. He’s showing america a blueprint and I’m taking a batch of things from his game.”

Harman has besides seen Saubert clasp his relation arsenic a positional mentor, and echoed Fangio and McMahon’s feelings astir the Broncos’ religion successful their choky extremity extent heading into the season.

“He’s a seasoned feline who volition bash immoderate you request done,” Harman said. “And we cognize that if Noah oregon Albert are disconnected the field, the level (of execution) won’t autumn off.”