ShareThisBy LEE RASIZER
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Todd Sauerbrun now is technically an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any NFL team.
That clearly isn't his mind-set, however.
"See you in training camp," he said Wednesday after a special master in Boston cleared the way for the three-time Pro Bowl punter's return to the Broncos.
Steven Burbank, a University of Pennsylvania law professor now working at Harvard, ruled that the New England Patriots improperly filed paperwork last December relating to a right-of-first-refusal to re-sign Sauerbrun this offseason. The Broncos signed Sauerbrun to an incentive-laden offer sheet last week before the Patriots matched, setting up the showdown between the NFL players union and the league's management council.
The punter admitted he "thought the worst" and would be relegated to battling four other punters for a spot on the Patriots roster before Wednesday's ruling.
Instead, he'll almost certainly rejoin the Broncos, with whom he played one season-plus before his violation of the NFL's ephedra policy spurred his departure last fall.
"It's just absolute craziness," said Sauerbrun, who has averaged 44 yards a punt for five teams in a dozen pro seasons and made three Pro Bowl appearances. "There's no hard feelings with the Pats. I thank them for the opportunity having me there. But it's a business, and I have to do what's best for me. The whole situation in Denver is better for me."
Sauerbrun likely will be reunited with the Broncos' new special-teams coach, Scott O'Brien, under whom the punter had his greatest pro successes while playing for the Carolina Panthers from 2001 to '04. And, based on his track record, Sauerbrun immediately jumps ahead of incumbent Paul Ernster.
It's a dream scenario for Sauerbrun, who has consistently voiced a desire to return to Denver, even after the team cut him following his four-game, league-imposed suspension.
Comfort level with the city and franchise are key reasons he has been keen on rejoining Denver. But he also admitted he felt bad about his role in leaving the Broncos initially and said his latest chance gives him a shot at "redemption."
"It's such a privilege to be in my situation, in the NFL and the whole bit. And this is my last leg . . . This is it for me. So I need to make the most of it," he said. "I honestly feel I can play 10 years more. I don't want to screw that up."
