Getty Free agent Jurrell Casey has yet to land with a team.
Five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey is one of the more intriguing free agents still available, but would he be worth taking a swing on if you’re the Green Bay Packers? One analyst certainly thinks so.
With Kingsley Keke, Jack Heflin and Carlo Kemp currently listed on the depth chart as the team’s top defensive ends on the right side, depth is definitely something the Packers could use on the interior. Keke, who has yet to practice during training camp, just returned after being on the non-football injury list. Thus, it wouldn’t hurt to kick the tires on Casey, who was released by the Denver Broncos earlier this year.
Casey was slated to make over $11.8 million this season in Denver, but he has been available and on the market long enough that he won’t be able to command near that much, particularly now that he’s coming off an injury that sidelined him for the bulk of the 2020 season.
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report compiled a list of NFL free agents that need to be signed “immediately,” and he dubbed Casey as a perfect fit for the Packers. Is he right? Let’s break it down.
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Casey Would Give GB a Versatile Presence on D-Line
Casey has played both defensive end/tackle, and he has a history of lining up and swarming opposing quarterbacks from all over. He has been more productive when he lines up on the interior of the d-line (he favors a 1 or 3 technique), and he has also made plays and disrupted the backfield while lining up outside of the tackle (in a 5 technique).
Here’s why Moton thinks Casey would be perfect for the Packers:
Last season, Jurrell Casey tore his biceps, which cost him 13 games, but that injury won’t derail his career or outlook for the 2021 campaign. According to Pro Football Network’s Adam H. Beasley, multiple teams have shown interest in Casey. Despite the defensive tackle’s injury-shortened 2020 campaign, his resume likely holds a lot of weight. For seven consecutive terms from 2013 to 2019, Casey recorded at least five sacks. He’s a versatile interior threat who can play on all three downs. The 11th-year veteran has 85 tackles for loss and 51 sacks.
Casey also has eight forced fumbles, 15 pass defenses, five fumble recoveries and 117 QB hits over the years, so he has produced consistently — other than last season.
Money Would Be Key in Bringing Casey to Green Bay
Injuries have plagued the interior defender in recent years, and that’s a definite cause for concern. Towards the end of his tenure with the Titans, Casey began getting bitten by the injury bug more frequently. He went on injured reserve prior to the final game of the 2018 season with a torn ligament in his knee. In 2019, he missed two games with a shoulder issue, and a torn bicep ended his run in Denver after just three games. He had missed just two games over the seven seasons prior to 2018, and he played 14+ games in each of his first nine NFL seasons, so he was very durable every year other than his 2020 campaign with the Broncos.
If he’s willing to play for $5-7 million or perhaps even less, he’d definitely be worth a look if you’re Green Bay. Fewer teams have a lineup as stellar as the Packers, and an opportunity to win a Super Bowl has to appeal to a veteran like Casey. Would he take less cash to play on a team led by Aaron Rodgers? Maybe. Maybe not — but Green Bay should be on the phone asking.
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