JOHN CLAYTON

Clayton: Elway’s “steals” a year ago didn’t pan out for the Broncos

Feb 25, 2021, 3:53 PM | Updated: Mar 3, 2021, 10:05 am

Last season, it appeared as though John Elway had made two steals for the Broncos in trades. He picked up cornerback A.J. Bouye from Jacksonville for a fourth-round pick. And it looked like he made an even better move when he acquired defensive lineman Jurrell Casey from Tennessee for just a seventh-round pick.

Unfortunately, those “steals” sometimes don’t work out. Bouye and Casey combined to play in a total of just 10 games for Vic Fangio in 2020. And now, both have been released by the club, Bouye was cut first two weeks ago with Casey joining him on Thursday.

Bouye suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Broncos opener against the Titans, an injury that hampered him throughout the season. Then in December, he was suspended six games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. That suspension carries over into 2021 where he’ll miss the first two games of the season. As for Casey, a torn bicep in week three against the Buccaneers ended his season prematurely.

Bouye and Casey were good football players on their former teams. But unfortunately, players that look like they’re going to be bargains – and in exchange for fourth- and seventh-round picks, they looked like just that – don’t always turn out the way their new team is hoping for.

These moves free up a lot of salary cap room for George Paton. The Broncos cleared $23 million of space in 2021 by just releasing Bouye and Casey. Meanwhile, the Broncos are trying to make a decision on the $18 million owed to Von Miller this season. They still want to keep him, although unlikely at $18 million. We’ll keep an eye on this situation in the weeks to come.

Denver now has significant salary cap room, giving them a great opportunity to be aggressive signing players in free agency. As for Bouye and Casey, it’s a shame it didn’t work out for them under Fangio as they’re both good football players. Unfortunately, they weren’t available enough to be good football players for the Denver Broncos.

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Clayton: Elway’s “steals” a year ago didn’t pan out for the Broncos