Green Bay Packers: 3 Free Agent Targets at Positions of Need
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers Free Agent Target: Jurrell Casey – IDL
This is a position that I would like to see Green Bay try to address in free agency. The Packers still need to add someone else to the rotation to help spell Dean Lowry and Kingsley Keke, along with just some additional depth overall at the position.
However, this year’s draft class is extremely thin; relying solely on the draft to fill the need could be risky, which is why I’d prefer that they sign a veteran in free agency.
One name in particular who stands out and who I highlighted recently in an article is Jurrell Casey. A former third-round pick in 2011, Casey spent his entire career with Tennessee until being traded to Denver for the 2020 season. But he unfortunately only played in three games before being sidelined the remainder of the season with a bicep injury.
Casey was a five-time Pro Bowler with the Titans and effective against both the run and the pass. Since 2013, he has tallied at least 42 pressures each season, and by Pro Football Focus’ ($) run-stop percentage metric, he finished in the top-15 among interior defensive linemen from the 2014 to 2018 seasons.
At 32 years old, Casey may not be the player that he was in Tennessee, but even in his shortened 2020 season in Denver, he had shown that he can still be effective with a PFF grade of 74.4 that ranked 30th among defensive tackles. Add him to Green Bay’s rotation in a more reduced role, and we could see Casey find some of his old form.