The Denver Broncos on Tuesday re-signed defensive end John Engelberger and tight end Nate Jackson, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced. As per club policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Engelberger (6-foot-4, 252 pounds) is entering his ninth NFL season and fourth year with the Broncos, who acquired him in a trade from San Francisco on July 15, 2005. He spent his first five professional seasons with the 49ers after they selected him in the second round (35th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft from Virginia Tech University.
A 15-game starter for Denver last season, Engelberger has appeared in every game for the club in each of the last two years. In 124 career regular-season games (74 starts), he has totaled 313 tackles (216 solo), 19.5 sacks (133.5 yds.), 10 pass breakups, 12 forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
In 2007, Engelberger led the Broncos' defensive line with 59 tackles (40 solo) while adding one sack (8 yds.), two pass breakups and one forced fumble in 16 games (15 starts). He was chosen as Denver's Ed Block Courage Award nominee for not missing a game despite suffering a severe right shoulder injury early in the season.
A second-team All-American as a senior at Virginia Tech, Engelberger was born on Oct. 18, 1976, and attended Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Va.
Jackson (6-foot-3, 235 pounds) begins his sixth NFL season in 2008 and first joined the Broncos in a trade with San Francisco on Aug. 13, 2003. The tight end entered the league with the 49ers in 2002 as a college free agent from Menlo College.
In 31 career games (1 start), Jackson has totaled 16 receptions for 156 yards (9.8 avg.) with one touchdown. He also owns 15 career tackles on special teams.
Jackson registered three catches for 34 yards (11.3 avg.), including the first touchdown catch of his career, in five games (1 start) with Denver in 2007 before he was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 9 due to a groin injury. He appeared in a career-high 12 games with the Broncos in 2004, registering personal bests in receptions (8), receiving yards (73) and special-teams tackles (7).
Named first-team All-America as a senior wide receiver at Menlo College after posting 105 receptions for 1,520 yards (14.5 avg.) with 17 touchdowns, Jackson attended Pioneer High School in San Jose, Calif., and was born on June 4, 1979
I am expecting Roger Goodell to personally call Pat Bowlen and Mike Shanahan to levy a stiff and painful penalty to the Broncos for actually making football moves on the day Brett Favre retires.