Derek Wolfe Makes Bold Prediction for Jurrell Casey on his Way out of Denver
The Denver Broncos have essentially replaced the outgoing Derek Wolfe with the incoming Jurrell Casey on the defensive line. Casey, acquired via trade from Tennessee in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick, brings nearly a decade of experience to the table.
Meanwhile, Wolfe sat on the free-agent market for two full weeks before finally accepting a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. He'll have the opportunity to earn up to $6 million in 2020.
On his way out of Dove Valley, Wolfe has been the epitome of classy and harbors no ill will toward the Broncos. In fact, Wolfe sounds just as excited as most Broncos fans to see what Casey can do in Vic Fangio's defense.
“They’ve got Jurrell Casey. He’s going to ball in that defense,'' Wolfe told KUSA's Mike Klis. "He’s going to make a ton of plays so that was a really good pickup by [GM John] Elway. I have no hard feelings about the team. I wish them nothing but the best. I hope they get it turned around. I hope they make it to the playoffs and I hope we play against them in the playoffs.’’
Wolfe plans to maintain Denver as his 'home' city. He might depart for a year or two while he finishes his playing career but he plans on keeping his home and staying in the Mile High City long-term because it's where he 'became a man', met his wife, and started his family — to say nothing of his accomplishments on the field and impact in the community.
It will be interesting to see how Casey takes to Fangio's scheme, once things get back to normal and the Broncos can reconvene and get back on the field. Casey is coming off of five straight Pro Bowl seasons and brings 51 career sacks to Denver in nine NFL seasons.
Meanwhile, Wolfe contributed 33 sacks in eight seasons. In that metric alone, you can see why the Broncos were keen on adding Casey. His presence does represent an upgrade.
With Shelby Harris back in the fold, the Broncos' have a projected starting D-line that features him and Casey as the ends and big Mike Purcell as the nose tackle. Dre'Mont Jones, DeMarcus Walker, and Joel Heath represent the next wave, with a few futures players like Deyon Sizer also churning the bottom of the depth chart.
With the NFL Draft coming on April 23, the Broncos' D-line could continue to evolve. But the trio of Casey, Purcell, and Harris are close to set in stone as the Broncos' starting down linemen. Combine that with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on the edges and Alexander Johnson and Todd Davis at off-ball linebacker, and the Broncos' front seven is teeming with talent.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
