Denver Broncos to Watch in Training Camp: TE James Casey

Earlier this month, the Denver Broncos unveiled their schedule for training camp. Things kick off at Dove Valley on July 31, and the fans will get to watch the Broncos at their new facility. Last year, training camp was closed to the public as team headquarters underwent a massive construction project.

The Broncos have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. It will be a difficult process to find the best 53-man roster possible—and it will take most of the month of August to do so.

There will be positional battles at multiple spots as the Broncos establish their depth chart for the 2015 season. This pecking order will largely be determined by a player’s performance in training camp.

In this edition of “Broncos to Watch in Training Camp,” we take a look at a free-agent addition from earlier this year, tight end James Casey.

The College Career

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Casey’s college career was delayed out of high school because of minor league baseball. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2003 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox, and he spent three years in their organization. Casey ended up retiring from baseball in 2006 to pursue a career in football.

It didn’t take Casey long to make an impression playing college football for Rice University. As a freshman in 2007, he snared 46 passes for 585 yards and four touchdowns. He also played as a running back, rushing 45 times for 144 yards and five touchdowns. In a game against Southern Mississippi that season, Casey lined up on both sides of the ball playing a total of seven different positions for the Owls.

His second year of playing college football saw Casey set multiple school records for the tight end position. He caught 111 passes for 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2008. The receptions and receiving yardage totals were the most by a tight end in NCAA history. In addition to playing tight end and a host of other positions, he also tried his hand as a punt returner that season.

After his sophomore season, Casey declared for the 2009 NFL draft.

He attended the practices for the 2009 East-West Shrine Game, but he was not eligible to participate since he was an underclassman. Talking to Casey on the sidelines, he declared that he just wanted to be around the game and meet team representatives before the draft.

Pro Career

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Then-Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak added Casey as a fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft. The Texans eased Casey into the lineup during the first two years of his pro career. In 2009, he was only targeted 12 times, catching six passes for 64 yards. In 2010, he was only targeted 14 times, catching eight passes for 98 yards.

Casey started to come into his own in 2011 and 2012.

During those seasons, he played a larger role on offense and proved to be reliable when called upon. In 2011, he was targeted 26 times and caught 18 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown. In 2012, he set career-best numbers in targets (54), receptions (34), receiving yards (330) and touchdowns (3). He impressed that season, but it wasn’t enough to keep him around in Houston.

Casey hit the free-agent market in 2013 and was promptly signed to a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. While in Philadelphia, he was barely used as a receiver. In two years with the Eagles, he caught a whopping six passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. However, Casey led the NFL in 2014 with 439 snaps played on special teams. He recorded 13 tackles for the Eagles and two blocked punts last season.

The Eagles released him earlier this year, and the Broncos added him to the roster as a free agent back in April. Reunited with Kubiak, Casey should be utilized a lot more as a receiver than he was under Chip Kelly.

Positives

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Casey is a jack of all trades on the football field, but there are some skills that he’s mastered.

The first thing that stands out about Casey is his ability as a blocker. Measuring in at 6’3”, 240 pounds, Casey can control his man at the point of attack. He’s technically sound and will keep his man away from the quarterback or ball-carrier.

Casey has fantastic hand-eye coordination, and this ability helps him make difficult catches seem routine. He creates mismatches against linebackers as a receiver out of the backfield, and he can regularly win at the point of the catch.

He’s tough enough to run routes over the middle of the field, and he has the athleticism to attack the deep middle seam on certain plays.

Negatives

While a good all-purpose player, Casey has yet to play up to his full potential as a pro. He’s not a traditional fullback, but he’s not your classic tight end, move tight end or H-back. Casey works hard at anything he’s tasked with, but he doesn’t really have a true position.

As a route-runner, Casey sometimes tips off the direction he’s going. He’s quite athletic, but his routes can sometimes look rigid or robotic.

What to Watch For

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Under Kubiak, the tight end position is incredibly vital to the design of the offense. Casey’s versatility means that he’ll be lining up at multiple positions, just like he always has during his football career.

While he may not post career-best numbers in his first season with the Broncos, Casey could come close to matching the production level he had with the Texans in 2011 and 2012.

His main competition for targets could come from tight end Virgil Green. A seventh-round pick in 2011, Green has worked diligently to become one of the best blockers in the game. With so many question marks on the offensive line, the Broncos may decide to keep Green in to block quite a bit—even though he’s a seriously underrated receiver.

There are some Broncos fans who think Green is going to have a breakout season as a receiver in 2015. While he may post career-best numbers as a receiver (Green only has 23 career receptions), there’s a chance Casey will be targeted more in the offense this season. Do not be surprised if the reception totals for Green and Casey are close.

Casey is competing for the starting fullback job with Joe Don Duncan. Like Casey, Duncan is a converted college tight end who is now playing fullback. While Casey has the experience edge, Duncan is a much larger prospect weighing in at 270 pounds. Both are gifted athletically, but Casey should be able to win the starting job.

The Broncos know how important the tight end position is in this system, and that’s why they added Casey. The move to acquire him may be one of the most underrated team happenings this offseason.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.