John Elway on Broncos' Acquisition of Jurrell Casey: 'A Top-Flight D-Lineman'

On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos acquired 10th-year defensive lineman Jurrell Casey from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick. It was a stunning move, both in the quality of player GM John Elway was able to pry off the Titans' hands but also in the compensation relinquished.

It's not often a team can get a recently-turned 30-year-old player coming off of five consecutive Pro Bowl selections for the negligible cost of a seventh-rounder. The silver-tongued Elway deserves plaudits for this move.

On Thursday, day two of the NFL's new league year, Elway announced the Casey trade, releasing a statement on what the big D-lineman brings to the Broncos.

“Jurrell Casey is a top-flight defensive lineman who has been among the most productive players in the NFL at his position,” Elway said. “What stands out with Jurrell is how hard he plays, providing a consistent interior pass rush and coupling that with a strong presence against the run. In addition to being a perennial Pro Bowler, Jurrell is a respected locker room and community presence who brings strong leadership qualities to the Broncos.”

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Undoubtedly, the Broncos nabbed themselves a star. At 6-foot-1, 305 pounds, Casey isn't exactly a behemoth but he uses his size and insatiable motor to wreak havoc behind the line of scrimmage — both as a run-stuffer and pass-rusher.

In the wake of last year's injury-decimated free-agent haul, it's worth pointing out that Casey is the epitome of durable. Having started 137-of-139 games since arriving in the league as Tennesee's 2011 third-round pick out of USC, Casey has amassed 51 career sacks.

He's coming off a year in which he stated in 14 regular-season and three playoff games, posting five sacks, 44 tackles (26 solo), one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Casey was especially dynamic in the Titans' Divisional Round road victory over Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. He posted 2.5 additional sacks in the postseason.

It's also worth noting that only two active defensive linemen have appeared in more consecutive Pro Bowls (five) than Casey — L.A. Rams' Aaron Donald and Cincinnati's Geno Atkins. Casey's 51 career sacks rank him with the fifth-most in Titans' franchise history. Since entering the league back in 2011, that total trails only Atkins, Donald and Gerald McCoy (TB/CAR) among interior D-linemen. Casey also earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2013 as a third-year player, after posting a career-high 10.5 sacks.

The Broncos still need to add one more starting-caliber interior defender to man the end spot opposite of Casey. But getting this 'top-flight' D-lineman in the fold, as Elway put it, gives the Broncos a massive leg up.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.