Patriots free agent targets: Jurrell Casey fits perfectly in New England

The New England Patriots had one of the worst defensive front sevens in the NFL in 2020. While opt-outs played a role in their struggles, the lack of talent and depth to make up for it was alarming.

This is a crucial area that the team needs to improve if they want to be competitive in 2021. There are some fascinating names on the free agent market that the team should take a look at.

One of those names is veteran defensive lineman Jurrell Casey, who was recently released by the Denver Broncos. Casey’s career has been very successful, although recently he is on a bit of a downswing.

On paper, Casey would be a classic Bill Belichick reclamation project. He only appeared in three games for the Broncos, as he was injured for most of the season.

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Casey was a very productive player for the Tennessee Titans, as he amassed 51 sacks and 84 tackles for loss in nine seasons with them. He was traded to the Broncos for a 7th round pick after his production took a slight dip in 2019.

Why bring Jurrell Casey to the New England Patriots?

Casey should come at almost no cost for the New England Patriots, as he is 31-years-old coming off a season in which he hardly played. However, his 2019 season was still productive, even for an aging interior lineman.

If he could match his production from that season on a team-friendly deal, it would be a big boost for the defense.

Casey has also proven to be versatile and was utilized in many different ways for the Titans. While he’s best playing 1-tech or 3-tech, Casey has proven to be athletic enough at his size to rush from almost any alignment.

He may have lost a step compared to how good he was in Tennessee, but it can’t hurt to kick the tires and see if Casey has any gas left in the tank. Given the lack of production from the defensive line in 2020, Casey could make a serious impact.

It is imperative that the Patriots utilize their abundance of cap space in the offseason. That being said, finding great value at a cheap cost has always been Bill Belichick’s strength as a general manager and it would not be shocking to see that trend continue in some capacity. Jurrell Casey fits the mold as someone who can be brought in on a short term deal to prove he still belongs in the league.