The Denver Broncos may need to look to free agency for Jurrell Casey replacements.
The Denver Broncos cannot get away from the injury plague in 2020.
According to multiple reports (first by Brandon Krisztal) the Broncos will be without starting defensive lineman Jurrell Casey for the remainder of the 2020 season with a torn biceps injury.
Just confirmed that Jurrell Casey is done for the year with a torn bicep. He had and MRI today. Turns out he injured it against Pittsburgh and played with it Sunday. #Toughness #BroncosCountry @KOAColorado
— Brandon Krisztal (@BKDenverSports) September 28, 2020
It’s astounding that Casey was able to play a full game with that kind of injury, and speaks to his toughness for sure, but the Denver Broncos are now left in a brutal position with three defensive linemen who were playing crucial roles now out with injuries.
If Casey was injured against Pittsburgh, that would mean the game against the Steelers cost the Denver Broncos all of Dre’Mont Jones, DeMarcus Walker, and their highest-priced acquisition on the defensive front for the 2020 season.
Not to mention Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton, and others.
What are the Broncos supposed to do now, especially on a short week traveling to play the New York Jets?
It’s not going to be easy.
Rookie McTelvin Agim — who was a healthy scratch to open the season with the Broncos’ depth on the defensive line — will now be thrust into a starting role. DeShawn Williams, who played his first NFL game in four years on Sunday, will now be the DL4 heading into the Broncos’ matchup against the Jets.
Shelby Harris and Mike Purcell remain, but beyond those four guys, the Broncos have nobody healthy except practice squad player Deyon Sizer.
What options are out there on the free agent market (or practice squad poaching options) who could legitimately step in and help the Broncos right now?
As it turns out, there are quite a few.
1. Marcell Dareus
One player I’ve been advocating for the Denver Broncos to sign for some time is former Buffalo Bills first-round pick Marcell Dareus, who was most recently with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After exploding onto the scene early in his NFL career, Dareus was eventually traded and never really was able to maintain the high level of play he showed early on.
Dareus grew into a first-team All-Pro in 2014 with 14 QB hits and 10 sacks, but his production has taken a substantial dip since that time.
It would be fascinating to see if Dareus has anything left in the tank, and with all of the injuries happening in Denver, why not take a shot on him?
Dareus was once considered right up there with the likes of Von Miller and Patrick Peterson for players the Broncos should take with the second overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Could Denver add another former Crimson Tide player to the roster?
Dareus, at the very least, is a veteran who has shown elite play in the past. Perhaps Vic Fangio’s defense would be a great fit for him.
2. Damon Harrison
Damon “Snacks” Harrison has recently been shopping his services around the league, looking for the right fit.
There are already teams interested him and if that’s the case, the 0-3 Denver Broncos might not be overly appealing.
So, we’re going to file this one in the ‘longshot’ category but for the moment, Harrison is still available and looking for a place to play football.
The Broncos can obviously offer him a prominent spot in the rotation.
After playing with the Jets, Giants, and Lions, Harrison is probably looking for more of a ‘sure thing’ when it comes to a playoff appearance, but he showed last season that he’s still a tremendous run-stuffing defensive tackle.
3. Corey Liuget (Houston practice squad)
Just like Marcell Dareus, Liuget was a first-round pick in the vaunted 2011 NFL Draft class.
For the first portion of his career, Liguet was a very solid player for the San Diego Chargers. In the first five years of his NFL career, Liuget notched 21 of his 25 career sacks.
Right now, Liuget is with the Houston Texans on the practice squad, so if they weren’t protecting him he could very well sign with a team like the Broncos looking for immediate help.
Obviously, Liuget is not playing at an All-Pro level in recent years, but again he has the history in the league going up against NFL linemen and could potentially factor in as a rotational player this year at the very least.
Last year with the Buffalo Bills in limited snaps, Liuget had four tackles for loss.
4. Datone Jones (Las Vegas practice squad)
Datone Jones has not played significant snaps in the NFL since 2016, but he’s been in camps and the former first-round pick is currently working on the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad.
In 67 career games, Jones has 36 QB hits and 10 sacks.
That’s obviously not great for a former first-round pick on the defensive line, but he’s also never really been more than a part-time player.
Considering he has experience and some production in his career coming in as a rotational guy, he could play an inside-out role for the Broncos and possibly provide them some inexpensive relief off the sideline for their current group.
5. Xavier Williams (New England practice squad)
Xavier Williams played with the Kansas City Chiefs during their Super Bowl run in 2019, and has been a strong run defender since he came into the league out of Northern Iowa.
He’s struggled with injuries as well, but he played all 16 games for the Chiefs in 2018 and racked up 47 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss.
Although he’s not going to offer much in the pass rush department, the Denver Broncos need to find a way to maintain their solid run defense and with Jurrell Casey out, that job is now a lot more difficult.
A player like Williams, who has experience as pretty much strictly a two-down run defender, could easily slide into that role for a season with Denver.
He’s one of a few guys out there on practice squads with significant NFL playing experience and could find a pretty significant role in a place like Denver with all of these injuries now piling up.