ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Truth is, there is a greater appreciation for Jurrell Casey’s football career in Tennessee than there is here.
Casey was selected way back in 2011 – the Von Miller draft – in the third round by the Tennessee Titans. He was a defensive line starter for nine seasons there and had a jaw-dropping 10.5 sacks from the inside defensive tackle position in his third season of 2013. He finished his stay in Tennessee with five consecutive Pro Bowl berths from 2015 through last season.
But the 6-foot-1, 305-pound Casey and the $37.9 million he had left on the final three years of his contract became a cap casualty for the Titans and he was cold-heartedly dealt to the Broncos in March in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick.
And who do Casey and Broncos play in their first game in the 2020 season? The Tennessee Titans.
“Emotions are high,’’ Casey said in a Zoom call Thursday with members of the Denver media. “But at the end of the day, what happened in Tennessee is in the past. I’m ready to get going with the Denver Broncos and go on a run for the championship season.
“First game is going to be hyped. You’re going to see me out there making a ton of plays and that’s day-to-day. But there’s going to be a little bit more juice coming into this game.’’
Emotions would no doubt stir stronger had the game been played in front his former fans in Tennessee. Instead, it will be played Monday night, September 14 at Empower Field at Mile High.
If all goes well for Casey and the Broncos, Denver fans will appreciate the type of player Tennessee gave up.
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Fangio wishes Yiadom well
Just because third-year cornerback Isaac Yiadom didn’t fit in Vic Fangio’s defensive system doesn’t mean he won’t be a good player for the New York Giants.
And it doesn’t mean Fangio, Denver’s head coach, won’t stop pulling for Yiadom now that the third-round product from Boston College has been traded from the Broncos to the Giants in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
“I just think it was a good opportunity,’’ Fangio said in his Zoom media call Thursday, the day after the trade. “We have guys there. It was a good opportunity to give Ike a fresh start, back on the East Coast.
“I’ll be his biggest cheerleader. I hope he makes us look bad and he’s a great player there. I’m cheering for him. It just didn’t work out here to the extent he wanted it to and we wanted it to. But I’m hoping the new surroundings benefit him and his career.”
Stadium practice
The Broncos will conclude training camp Friday night with a practice at Empower Field from 6:30 to 8:30. Then roster cuts from 79 to 53 will commence Saturday morning.
In a normal year, the Broncos would play a fourth preseason game on a Thursday night, and start making cuts on Friday. So the stadium practice Friday is this year’s last chance for players on the roster bubble to make a final impression.
“A little bit of that,’’ Fangio said. “But not quite the extent – a lot of times your starters don’t play in the fourth preseason game. Most of our guys will partake tomorrow. So in that regard, no.
“But yeah it is our last chance. We have to make the cuts the next day. Everything is weighted.”
Bronco Bits
Outside linebacker Von Miller, who is 31, got a vet day Wednesday. Safety Kareem Jackson, who is 32, got his turn Thursday. “Kareem just begged me for a vet day and I relented after he put a cupcake on my desk,’’ Fangio said. …
Rookie tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (hip) and fullback/H-back Andrew Beck (back) sat out with minor injuries Thursday. …
Inside linebacker Todd Davis returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday for the first time since he was carted off with a strained left calf two weeks ago.
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