Report: Broncos release FB James Casey, Roster to 53

According to a report from Adam Caplan of ESPN, the Denver Broncos have released veteran FB/TE James Casey to make room for Derek Wolfe on the 53-man roster.

This is a bit of a shocker as far as what I guess we had expected. Casey was a veteran brought in by coaches who were familiar with him, and a guy who knew this offense really well, and he chose the Broncos over a number of other teams that had expressed interest after he was let go by Philadelphia. Casey’s release brings some clarity to a situation that Broncos fans had been really in question about this week.

With Wolfe coming back, a corresponding move was expected, but it wasn’t expected to take this long. In the end, it doesn’t really matter, but the player released is a bit interesting. The Broncos don’t really have the luxury of cutting a player that isn’t a high caliber NFL athlete right now.

They are such a deep roster, especially defensively, and the really interesting thing about this move is where it leaves the Broncos’ defensive line, which is overflowing with top flight talent right now.

It’s possible Casey needs a change of scenery in order to get back to playing a position he’s more familiar with:

The Broncos now lack a fullback on the roster, but they could call up Joe Don Duncan if they want. Duncan was progressing through training camp with the team and was cut after the third pre-season game. He made some nice plays when I was in attendance for practice, but the Broncos obviously have seen and know more than I do.

There’s also the option to look outside the roster for a veteran player at the position, or simply not use a traditional fullback and use someone who is already on the team, like Virgil Green.