The Broncos are going to release fullback/tight end James Casey, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Casey inked a one-year deal with the Broncos back in April.
The Broncos will make this move in order to clear room for Derek Wolfe, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Wolfe is returning from a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Casey has appeared in three games so far for Denver but he has ye to record a carry or a reception. Currently, the veteran is dealing with a knee injury and prior to today’s news he was said to be questionable for Sunday’s tilt against the Raiders.
After being released by the Eagles in late February, the veteran received interest from a variety of clubs, including the Cardinals, Titans, Browns, Jaguars, Bengals and Washington. Casey first visited with Denver in late February but he didn’t put pen to paper until a couple of months later.
A 2009 fifth-round pick out of Rice, Casey saw his snap count progressively increase during his tenure with the Texans. His best season came in 2012, when he caught 34 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns. In 2013, he inked a three-year, $14.6MM contract with the Eagles. His role was diminished while playing in Philadelphia, as his snap count decreased from 609 in 2012 to only 173 last season. Still, Casey continued his six-year run of receiving a positive rating from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
As a former Texan, Casey has a history with coach Gary Kubiak who also encouraged Denver to sign tight end Owen Daniels earlier this offseason. Daniels hasn’t set the world on fire offensively in 2015, but he has seen far more burn than Casey.
A casualty of Gary Kubiak’s offense being altered. Peyton Manning and fullbacks haven’t meshed, and the Broncos haven’t played their blocking tight end, Virgil Green, much, so Casey’s departure makes sense.