Thread: Broncos set to release TE/FB James Casey

Guess this will be the move to free up a spot for Wolfe:

Adam Caplan ‏@caplannfl 7m7 minutes ago

#Broncos are going to release FB James Casey, per league source.

Adam Caplan ‏@caplannfl 4m4 minutes ago

Kubiak used Casey as a FB, but other teams see him more as a TE.

Can myth and legend Joe Don Duncan | be headed back to Denver?

Originally Posted by elsid13

Can myth and legend Joe Don Duncan | be headed back to Denver?

I doubt it. Pistol & Gun: no FB needed.

Originally Posted by elsid13

Can myth and legend Joe Don Duncan | be headed back to Denver?

While I would love this, I think Timmy's right - we're not running the traditional Kubiak offense and this clinches it. We'll pick up a FB next year when Os is back there.

Makes sense; better than releasing

1) Either the #3 OR #4 vet DE who's played solidly the whole last month,
2) A 2nd year #5 DE who's flashed in both camps but been kept off the field by injury,
3) The vet #4 OT familiar with the ZBS when only ONE other OT had played an NFL down before this season or
4) The #5 CB in a league where nickelbacks are practically starters now and even dimebacks see plenty of action.

Casey had snaps in several September games, but from my admittedly limited vantage, looked unremarkable. I don't recall whether he played last week (our run blocking's best so far) but saw him at least 2 of the first 3 games, when we averaged <3 yds/att (NFL average is perennially 4.2.) It's hard to believe we'd have done WORSE without him, and I still believe there's so little demand for FBs now that, if Kubiak really wants one, he can probably find a good one pretty cheaply without trying to convert a TE. That's the kind of attempt to make a silks purse from a sows ear that got him trouble with Griese and Schaub.

Originally Posted by Timmy!

I doubt it. Pistol & Gun: no FB needed.

Can you not let me have my dreams? Darn you!

Originally Posted by Joel

Makes sense; better than releasing

1) Either the #3 OR #4 vet DE who's played solidly the whole last month,
2) A 2nd year #5 DE who's flashed in both camps but been kept off the field by injury,
3) The vet #4 OT familiar with the ZBS when only ONE other OT had played an NFL down before this season or
4) The #5 CB in a league where nickelbacks are practically starters now and even dimebacks see plenty of action.

Casey had snaps in several September games, but from my admittedly limited vantage, looked unremarkable. I don't recall whether he played last week (our run blocking's best so far) but saw him at least 2 of the first 3 games, when we averaged <3 yds/att (NFL average is perennially 4.2.) It's hard to believe we'd have done WORSE without him, and I still believe there's so little demand for FBs now that, if Kubiak really wants one, he can probably find a good one pretty cheaply without trying to convert a TE. That's the kind of attempt to make a silks purse from a sows ear that got him trouble with Griese and Schaub.

Casey was inactive in week three. The other three weeks, he played 21, 24 and 22 snaps, respectively, but only 7, 7 and 6 of those were on offense (others were ST). So he's played a grand total of 20 offensive snaps in the four games we've played. I can't remember anything about his ST work but if it was spectacular, I doubt they cut him.

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Casey was inactive in week three. The other three weeks, he played 21, 24 and 22 snaps, respectively, but only 7, 7 and 6 of those were on offense (others were ST). So he's played a grand total of 20 offensive snaps in the four games we've played. I can't remember anything about his ST work but if it was spectacular, I doubt they cut him.

Well, we DO have a lot of guys who made the 53 in no small part due to excellent STs play. Your basic point's valid regardless though, and thanks for filling in the blanks for me.

Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 2h2 hours ago

I have confirmed that #broncos will release FB James Casey to make room for DE Derek Wolfe

Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 1h1 hour ago

Casey became expendable when #broncos moved to pistol formation using a lot of two tight end sets Wish well. Great guy. Total pro

Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 1h1 hour ago

Correction #Broncos hadn't featured a true fullback on their 53-man roster since Chris Gronkowski in 2012. No room for one now in pistol

Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 1h1 hour ago

Again, Casey is a total pro. I would expect him to catch on as a TE with another team. And he's also good on special teams. #Broncos

Jeff Legwold ‏@Jeff_Legwold 60m60 minutes ago

James Casey did not receive signing bonus when he signed a 1-year deal in offseason -- had a $750,000 base salary w/$500,000 roster bonus

Originally Posted by Joel

Well, we DO have a lot of guys who made the 53 in no small part due to excellent STs play. Your basic point's valid regardless though, and thanks for filling in the blanks for me.

Anytime. Your question made me Google snap counts. Apparently Football Outsiders has a table that they take from the media only site NFLGSIS

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Anytime. Your question made me Google snap counts. Apparently Football Outsiders has a table that they take from the media only site NFLGSIS

Nice; love me some FO. It's easily the best thing The Hidden Game of Football inspired.

Mixed on this. Liked going back to a fullback thinking about Griffith days, and what if Manning gets hurt? Stay in the pistol? Wouldn't they want a FB is Oz is in there?

But I do like Kubiak isn't bullheaded. We know what he would prefer to do but is adapting. So many guys refuse to do that at the expense of wins and losses.

Have we even used a full back this year?

Originally Posted by tomjonesrocks

Mixed on this. Liked going back to a fullback thinking about Griffith days, and what if Manning gets hurt? Stay in the pistol? Wouldn't they want a FB is Oz is in there?

But I do like Kubiak isn't bullheaded. We know what he would prefer to do but is adapting. So many guys refuse to do that at the expense of wins and losses.

If we wanted a FB, we should've drafted/signed one; it's not like we had many competing offers to beat for a good one, and converting a player from even a very similar DIFFERENT position's unlikely to yield a good ANYTHING. This is a rare case where I disagreed with Kubes (most of those case amount to, IMHO, Kubes outsmarting himself.)

On paper it looked savvy, because traditional FBs and TEs are so similar. Theoretically, it could even work the other way if we found a FB with really good speed and hands (for a FB) because the demand for FBs is so low and demand for TEs so high we have much more, better and affordable choices among FBs than TEs. But that's why anyone at the coveted (i.e. lucrative) TE position willing to convert to the undesirable (i.e. unlucrative) FB position is probably the dregs of the talent barrel, and we still have to make an offer good enough to beat what anyone else will pay for even a BAD TE.

Well since virgil green has disappeared as a ball catching TE maybe he will resurface as a blocking fullback if oz takes over. ha