Another Tuesday brings more moves … including a seismic change on special teams.
Out is Todd Sauerbrun and in is Paul Ernster, marking a reversal of the decision made in August when the Broncos opted for the 13-year veteran Sauerbrun over the 2005 seventh-round draft pick who had held down the punting and kickoff duties throughout 2005 following Sauerbrun’s suspension for violation of the league’s substance-abuse policy.
The Broncos also placed Nick Ferguson on injured reserve, promoted safety Roderick Rogers from the practice squad, and waived safety Marviel Underwood.
Sauerbrun’s gross punting average of 46.8 yards ranked second in the AFC behind Oakland’s Shane Lechler and fifth in the NFL overall. However, his net punting average of 36.1 yards was 10th in the conference and 21st in the league. His discrepancy between gross and net averages of 10.7 yards was also the highest in the league.
Sauerbrun also handled kickoffs.
Ernster — who in 2006 had the highest touchback percentage for a Bronco on kickoffs since the kickoffs were moved back to the 30-yard-line — had a stay in Cleveland earlier this year that can be equated to a layover; he played one game for the Browns in relief of the injured Dave Zastudil before finding himself back on the waiver wire, where he remained until Tuesday.
Underwood signed with the team on Dec. 5 but did not crack the game-day active roster in his two weeks as a Bronco. Underwood had been trying to claw back into the NFL after tearing two knee ligaments in a preseason opener in 2006 while a starter for the Green Bay Packers; he missed that entire season and was waived by the Packers this past summer.
The San Diego State product played under current Broncos assistant head coach/defense Jim Bates as a Packers rookie in 2005. A day after Underwood signed, Bates said the Broncos were “just going to take a look” at Underwood to see where he stood and whether he could help, but the safety never made it out of a warmup suit on the two game days that followed.
What do you think of the moves? Comment below …
Tags: Marviel Underwood, Nick Ferguson, Paul Ernster, Roderick Rogers, Todd Sauerbrun
glad to see paul ernster back after sauerbrun’s year this year. hope he’ll get way more touch backs then sauerbrun. another thing thats killing the broncos are the other teams starting possesion place. (usually to the 32 yard line or better)
ive always thought they shouldve kept Paul over Todd, thats jus me though. Mr.Mason can you shed any light on this Brandon Marshall rumor of him wanting to be cut. thanks a million shelbo.
Well, as was mentioned in the comments section of another blog post yesterday, the Marshall rumor came from the same Web site that speculated that Head Coach Mike Shanahan was going to Michigan, so consider the source … and in his locker-room interview yesterday, Marshall seemed normal, so I wouldn’t read anything into it.
Thanks Mason for clearing everything up about Marshall to the rest of the fans. Rumors are rumors.
Marshall also has stated before that he wants to be a Bronco till he retires, he wants Cutler and him to be the next big duo!
Great, with Ernster back, opposing teams will be starting at the 50. Don’t forget the guy can’t remember his helmet, our special teams has a bright future.
Nice decision coach, he disgraced the uniform.
Thanks Mr.Mason i appreciate it! broncoryan you will be the first to eat his words on monday night, and if its the other way i will gladly eat mine. at least give the guy a shot, i thought he did every bit as good as todd ever did.
paul should’ve been punting for us this whole season. and maybe if he did we might have won in the chi.
i want to exit the season with my head up high wearing my cutler jersey, so lets finish the season at .500
I agree shelbo bronco. broncoryan, saurebraun did a horrible job at punting this year and at least Ernster isn’t in the news for assault.
Who needs a punter, we might as well go for iy every 4th down, our special teams are that bad.
HAHHAHAH, Mike is having nightmares right now of bringing back Plummer. The way he BENCHED Ernster for Sauerbrun, he is having nightmares that he will have to bring back PLUMMER after benching him for Cutler..
if I remember correctly Ernsters adv punt was only like 30 yards last season? At least Todd could make it to the 10 or better. Last year at the Bengals game his punting was very very bad.
Ernster’s gross average last year was 41.7 yards, 5.1 yards below Sauerbrun’s this year. However, his net punting average in ’06 was 36.6 yards — a half-yard better than Sauerbrun posted this fall. It’s also worth noting that 59.6 percent of Sauerbrun’s punts this year have been returned, versus 48.8 percent last year.
thanks for the info mason! Hopefully things get better. Im like meisner, I want to proudly wear my Cutler jersey and know that next season my broncos are going to tear up the AFC and the whole league!
thank god they finally realeased saurbrun
hes a good punter and all but he did streroids!! what punter does steroids!! besides i think he should have gotten cut after the chicago game
On another note this was a dissapointing year honestly i think they will move john lynch as much as we all love him i think he will go. i think they will clean house on d-fence a build a new one around DJ elvis and the corners as much as we all dont want to say it we HAVE to rebuild
I see Lynch going as well, of maybe one more year at the most. Could he maybe stick around and be a coach on some level? I know thats a lot to say, not all your players can eventually do that but hey we all love Lynch!
Im glad to see Denver has representation at the Pro Bowl. But next year, I think will be far above this year, this year was a struggle and I personally view it as a transition to a bright future. I never stop being excited for my Broncos.. Lets go get San Diego!
Why does everybody think Sauerbrun did such a terrible job? I thought he was just as good as anyone else in the league. But that’s just my personal opinion. That, and that is what the stats say. Also, I do see the defense rebuilding, but not without John Lynch’s help. He’ll be back. But if he’s not, I definitely know what Denver will do come draft time. But I hope he is back because they need to draft either a DE or ILB in the first round. And lastly, I just think that Sauerbrun was routed out of Denver. I mean, come on. What was the REAL reason he got cut again? It can’t be because of his stats. What a joke! Shanahan is a good guy and all, and he has won two super bowls, so he is as great a coach as any, but sometimes the decisions he makes or allows regarding the personnel on this team just makes me scratch my head and sometimes even cringe…
We don’t need a MLB. DJ Williams is a Pro-Bowl caliber MLB. We probably don’t need a first round DE either. Dumervil, Crowder and hopefully Moss and Ekuban if they come back from injury should do us just fine for DE. Maybe draft some DE depth, but not first round by any means. There are other areas to spend that pick on.
YESSSSSS! Welcome back Ernster!
LetPlummerPlay…do you ever think about things you say?
I am very happy that we promoted Rogers.I would really like to see what he can do I hope we can see some of Marquay McDaniel before the season is over.
About time when you kick from the 45 yard line after a penalty and still can’t make in the end ( like he did in chicago) you should be cut.
He’s not the last person to be cut. Gold should go in place of winborn.
trade for Villma form the jets and put D.J back at MLB.
IN the draft I Like kenny phillips from the U
or move up to take The LB from ohio state.
The big key for the bronco’s is to lose the next two game and tryi to draft in top ten.
Oh yal is it me but does K paymah look better at corner the foxworth?
maybe we should trade foxworth for to move and get an impact deff player.
BY the way i can’t decide what was worse sp team or the deff.
Fact is I hope Denver gets Conner out of Penn State, but I think for sure if they dont get him at LB they will be going after a safety for Lynch to train after he leaves.
qgriffin,
It is a straight tie. Defense can’t hold on 3rd down and special teams does not know what each other is doing.
Shanahan makes solid decisions. We don’t always see all the facts and Mike isn’t the kind of guy who is going to explain why he makes every decison. Sauerbrun is a goofball, Ernster can’t hurt. I say welcome back, you know what it feels like out in the cold work your butt off.
Let’s keep Lynch in the Organization at any capacity for as long as possible.
I can’t explain why, but I wanted to keep Paul over Todd to begin with, so this is good news for me. I hope that Paul does well and shows why he deserves to wear the Broncos uniform again. Good luck Paul. And well, good luck to Todd with his day in court.
I disagree. I think Denver needs to draft a MLB in the 1st or 2nd round. DJ is great, but I think he was even better at OLB. And my last post, I said they need to draft a DE. I meant they need to draft a DT. Get a playmaker on the inside of that lousy line. The outside is fine and is getting better, but even when Ekuban was healthy, they weren’t that good. And for the third or fourth pick, pick up another WR. Afterall, Marshall was a later find in the draft, not an early pick, so that would be good. Also, I like the corners. If they get rid of one or two of them, they better get someone or something good.
It’s funny how comments can change topics from the time they begin to where this has gone…:p
Thanks Andrew!!!
First off, to get this out of the way… LetPlummerPlay – SHUT UP!!!!!!
Second, “Why does everybody think Sauerbrun did such a terrible job?” – oh I don’t know, maybe b/c of what he tried to pull at the Chicago game, apparently you didn’t see that nightmare of a job he did. He’s the one who should be eating his own words, I honestly think those two kick returns he gave to Hester is what cost us that game. We dominated that game, our guys actually showed up to play that day and what does Saurbrun say, some stupid thing like “I’m not afraid of Hester, I’ll kick to him.” Would love to know how often he’s been kicking himself for saying that and then watching that #23 fly right by him for 2, yeah 2 freakin’ touchdowns. I think we all have a MAJOR right to be upset!! I sure hope though that Ernster can do much better for our last 2 games… at least make his time in these games worth his while.
Third, I’m sick and tired of all you people saying that a bunch of our still talented and needed veterans, including coaches should be gone. All you guys are looking at are negative sides to these guys, well what about all the positive stuff – doesn’t that count for anything??? Yes, they’ve all made mistakes and they always will, they’re not perfect, there really is no such thing as a perfect team, coach, player, etc. These guys still have spark in them and something that each of them can give to this team.
For the last time (not likely), we are going through growing pains of trying to get a team put together, to work together and play as a team. Shanahan still has plenty of years here, I do believe Cutler was his idea and if Shanny goes than the process of Cutler becoming a real promising QB for us like Elway was, is going to go away. If Shanny started to help Cutler get comfortable being the starter and taking on a huge role, then I say he should finish it. Next year isn’t going to be any better than this one if we don’t have Cutler with Shanny, Shanahan is the one who gave him a chance. I’m keeping my faith in this team and unlike alot of people around here, I think Shanahan will stay with us for quite some time.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!
I am glad that Sauerbrun is out and Ernster back, who did well last year when Sauerbrun was suspended. Hopefully our kickoffs will get better and result in more touchbacks. I mean there is no reason that we shouldn’t have several touchbacks when considering where our homegames are.
letplummerplay is a real IDIOT. Obviously he doesnt like the broncos so who cares what he says. sourbrun punted pretty good but his kickoffs were not to good, there has to be something behind the scenes going on that we havnt heard yet. settle down everybody we have a young D-fence they will grow and be more consistant, are you poeple forgating that the injury list is huge unlike anything ive ever seen as a bronco fan. just give the young guys time to get better and they will, look for next year to be better. as far as the draft give me a safety and a line backer, offensiveline needs work, and possibly a running back? food for thought. dont start the shanahan bye bye talk. we have only had a couple of season under his tenure as the head coach that we didnt make the play offs. GO BRONCOS!!!!! Shanny for PRESIDENT! HA HA
Wait a minute. Actually, 20 seconds. What does that say about Denver’s special teams if you have to rely on the punter to make the play? I don’t know. I hate to disagree, but I just don’t get this logic.
I’m glad to see Paul Ernster back on the roster. He has a very strong leg and set records at Northern Arizona University. They said he could kick a mile, but lacked accuracy there. If anyone can groom him, I would think it would be Jason Elam. And besides, I know his dad and he says he needs the job!
With all the problems in professional sports, we need a “clean” roster and I believe Paul will prove to be a wise decision.
Now, let’s get the defense back on track! With the roster we have, it should have been awesome instead of awful. Think Orange Crush!!!
Hey Im a bronco fan since “73″ And my 70 years has taught me “what you see is what it is” Our special teams dont have a clue,No Kicker/punter, and our D must be rebuilt starting with Bates.He is too complicated. Remember these boys don’t graduate.We need a keep it simple defense.The offense will be great next year. Go Broncos
i agree with change of punters sauerbrun was over rated and probably over paid. now if we could only bring back larry coyer (has everybody forgotten the record setting pace our defense started out with last yearbefore it got worn down by our plummer led offense……alias 3 and out)
Our special teams isnt that bad with Paul coming back, we need to draft a speed demon in the 2008 draft, as well as drafting defense. We need to keep ahold of Travis Henry and Javon Walker, let Javon earn his money instead of releasing him, let him compete with Brandon Stokely for that 2nd spot or 1 spot, we would be deep at wide receiver and have that 1 2 punch with Selvin and Travis, I mean look at the Vikings, 1 2 punch is working for them isnt it? Nate Websters proved him self as an outside line backer so we dont need no need there. We strong at every position on offense once we get back our regular starters like Ben and Tom. If anything I suggest maybe finding a few or least one free agent for our weak safety positions. John is solid and were deeeeeeep at cornerback if they all come back which most likely they will. Im not being BIAS at all when I say we arent weak at alot of positions, will get Ebenezer back to counter part Elvis or if Ekuban doesnt come back or we dont keep him, we can find someone….we got alot of talent everywhere I just think theres just a few tweaks (Safety SS, FB, KR/PR). We got the team, dont let me down on thinking were AT LEAST going to Divisional/AFC Championship game next year, any more would be great but everyone in the league knows you have to go threw the PAts which Ole tom can handle the BRONCOS! GO FREE AGENT crazy hopefully, and draft good, looking forward to next year and the years to come! Favorite player (John LYYYYNCH BBOOOOM)
I think letting Sauerbrun go was one of the better decisions made by coaches this year even if Ernster is not as good. Give the kid a chance and let Todd make his way through the courts.
I agree with those who think Shannahan should stay to cultivate Cutler are correct, at least for one year as long as the playbook is updated from 1998. The offense was good between the 20′s but ineffective and inconsistent in the red zone. The plays were basic, predictable and didn’t use the talent that is on the team.
There is more than one Pro Bowl player on the Denver defense. How a coach can not put Pro Bowl play-makers in position to make pro bowl plays is beyond me. Do you give Bates another year, another draft, and another couple million in free agency?
There is a lot of talent on the defense. There is a lot of talent of offense, Apparently the coaches aren’t putting the players in position to make plays.
This team needs another DT like Sedrick Ellis or Frank Okam. They will need a safety like Kenny Phillups and they definitely need a gamebreaking KR/PR like Donnie Avery.
If that D-line gets better, the linebackers should be fine. Lance Briggs would be a great pick up and Winborn should start for Gold, at least on running downs. The latter part of the draft should be used on O-line.
Rd-1 Kenny Phillups
Rd-2 Frank Okam
RD-3 traded for Jimmy Kennedy (thats depressing)
Rd-4 Donnie Avery
Pick up Lance Briggs in FA
So we have an open roster spot?
This is what the Bronco management needs to do next year on Defense:
-Pursue Albert Haynesworth, failing this trade for a veteran or 1st Rnd pick.
-Pursue Lance Briggs
-Pursue Asante Samuel and Marcus Trufant. Gaining one of them move either Dre’ Bly or Dominique Foxworth on (Dom comes off contract).
-Switch John Lynch to Strong Saftey and draft a FS in the 1st/2nd Rnd depending on aquiring Haynesworth.
-Move Jarvis Moss to OLB
2008-09
LE – Tim Crowder
DT – Marcus Thomas
DT – Albert Haynesworth/ Trade/ 1st Rnd Pick
RE – Elvis Dumerville
WLB – Jarvis Moss
MLB – D.J. Williams
SLB – Lance Briggs/ Ian Gold
CB – Champ Bailey
CB – Asante Samuel/ Marcus Trufant
CB – Dominique Foxworth/ Dre’ Bly
FS – 1st/ 2nd Rnd Pick
SS – John Lynch
SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLAN… BUD DO YOU REALLY WANT A ROOKIE SAFTEY COMING INTO A DEFENSE THAT IS ALREADY CONFUSED?
YOU DIDN’T MENTION THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EITHER; GATES! SO WHEN ARE THEY GONNA FIRE HIM
? DOES ANYONE KNOW?
WHO ARE THEY GONNA BRING IN
THESE ARE ALSO IMPORTANT FACTORS
I’M STIL GONNA WATCH THE GAME ON SUNDAY…
SEE IF CUTLER HAS A GOOD GAME…. THE KID NEEDS ALL THE PRACTICE HE CAN GET BEFORE NEXT SEASON
Vinci. I like the way you think….
Is Hayneworth a FA? If he is, don’t you think that if the Titans can’t sign him that they won’t franchise him? Don’t get me wrong, I can’t think of another player that could help Denver more…. assuming Bates doesn’t make him look as bad as he did the rest the defense this year.
I think you might want to give Bly a break. I am almost positive that his playing was a result of the line and linebackers not being able to play in Bates system. Champs season wasn’t much better, he just tackles better. Asante Samuel and Marcus Trufant aren’t going to want to come here with Bly here and the only way that would happen is if one of those teams wants to trade for Bly to recover costs.
Jarvis Moss at WLB is interesting. Is he fast enough? I agree with going after Briggs.
I love John Lynch, but I really don’t think he has the speed in coverage which makes him a liability. Overall Hamzah has had a good year for his first starts.
This draft is scarce of good S’s, but not DT’s. A good draft for Denver would be Kenny Phillups in the first and Frank Okam in the second, or Sedrick Ellis in the first and Craig Steltz in the second. A good return man would really help as well. If somehow Denver was able to get Haynseworth and Briggs (which would be amazing) then maybe Desuan Jackson is an option or even another standout LB for the other side.
MARSHALL INCIDENT CONFIRMED
Though the extent of the situation is still unclear, we’re confirmed via another league source that Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall was involved in a verbal altercation on Monday with receivers coach Jeremy Bates.
Marhsall is regarded as one of the better young receivers in the NFL. However, supreme talent might not be the only thing he has in common with the likes of Terrell Owens.
Coincidentally, Marshall pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to DUI charges. He was arrested on October 22.
http://www.profootballtalk.com
That doesn’t sound too good… I mean sure they are off base on some things at times but the fact they say its confirmed means there is something behind it. Anything you have heard Mason?
Whoa VinnY, kenny Phillips at safety or the ohio state at Mlb D.J is best at out side lb. Villma form the jets should availble becuase he doen’t fit there 3-4 deff. get rid of bates and he’s stupid deff.
The best thing denver can do right now is lose the last to games and get a top ten pick
Blow ups happen at work all the time, I’m sure Marshall is frustrated with the season. Like Mason said, he was normal yesterday so whatever he had on his chest is gone. I have to say I’m extremely upset D.J. didn’t make the Pro Bowl, that’s a crock. The guy’s tied for tackles in the AFC. Whosyourmama didn’t deserve a bid over Marshall either. With that being said, look for major changes next season. I don’t think we’ll have either of the safetys returning to action. Nick has been beat to death the last 3 seasons and Lynch is already talking about his “options” for next season. Get the safety from Miami in the first round and find a good MLB in the second round. I don’t look for Gold to return either, he’s not the player he was 2 years ago and this year it was more obvious than last. This is a team in transition, be ready for the bumpy ride.
Welcome back Paul – he didn’t do all that bad last year and with time and work, he will improve. Broncos need two things for a better defense. One is to draft or find some good linebackers. DJ is playing way out of his league in the middle and the other two are not quality starters. I also think that if Denver gets some good linebackers, they should consider a 3-4 defense as it provides more options for pass coverage, rushing the passer and even blitz. D-lineman are hard to find, so eliminate one and put in a linebacker like we use to use Mecklenburg
Great to see a fellow Lumberjack back on the roster. Ernster was every bit as good as Sauerbrun. Plus let us not forget the embarrassment of “I’m not afraid of Hester. I’ll kick to him.” Good idea. Thank you ESPN for calling that one out. At least it’s good to know that Sauerbrun is off the roids. Maybe if he was injecting them into his butt Hester would have tripped over it on his way to 6 (X2). I still wont place the blame solely on him. The special teams in general stink, coach included. Could someone tell me what Martinez is doing on kickoffs? It looks like he is tip-toeing to the wedge with his eyes closed. RUN DAMMIT! Also hate seeing Bailey making tackles on returns. Keep him fresh and healthy PLEASE!
I have responded to LetPlummerPlay for the last time. He is an idiot. Nobody can be this stupid. He is doing it on purpose. Check the blogs. Everywhere you go, whether it is on Mason’s blog or another one, he just throws out a crazy idea that usually has nothing to do with the current topic.
He is just trying to annoy people. NOBODY, NOT EVEN A INFANT WHO NEVER WATCHED FOOTBALL, COULD BE THIS DUMB. Give it up dude. It is obvious you hate the Broncos. You hate their coaches and players. My guess is you are secretly a Raiders fan. Just stick to their blogs.
Everyone can do what they want, but I am done responding to this crazy stuff. I want to talk with real fans, not some idiot with nothing else to do. Hey LPP, you say you are a manager of a fortune 500 company, right? I doubt it. I don’t know too many serious professionals who have time to make up such crap and do their job.
I’m glad to see Sauerbrun leave – not mainly for his off field behavior, but for his performance. Most striking were his short kickoffs. Some of his long punts were returned for big yardage due to poor coverage, but too often, his punts were low and ST didn’t have a chance to catch up.
Let’s see if Ernster is a long term solution. I liked his kickoffs, but not his punts.
With Hamilton and Nalen back, the O-line should be stronger. However, my impression is, that the problem lies at the tackle positions. Lepsis looked overmatched and Pears stiff. I hope we find some help there. With a stronger O-line, I see great chances for the rest of our offense, even without a significant overhaul.
I agree with the trend of the analysis of the defensive deficiencies. If the front seven can stop the run, our Bailey and Bly can cover the WR’s. At some point in time (before Lynch turns 50) we should draft a safety.
That leaves the somewhat undisciplined bunch we call special teams – except for Elam, Leach and probably many others – but you notice every individual mistake as a failure of the whole unit. Here we need a coach!
Greetings from Germany – with a sour taste for this seasons results but hope and faith for a better 2008.
Go Broncos!!
Regarding Sauerbrun, good riddance. All he had to do was stay out of trouble. Whether trouble found him or he found trouble is irrelevant. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Next lesson, and I hope all the young Broncos have learned this; when you are walking a thin line either with the league or ownership or the head coach you need to be making the extra effort to avoid trouble and keeping your nose clean.
Finally, LPP made a comment in a previous blog that he could’ve led the late 90s Broncos to the Super Bowl when, in fact, he couldn’t lead a fat chick to an all you can eat buffett.
07elway is right on the money…i could not say it any better so i wont.