Bill Kostroun/Associated Press
When the door slammed shut on James Casey, a window opened for another member of the Philadelphia Eagles. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, the Eagles released Casey Thursday.
Chances are the average Birds fan won’t miss Casey, a third-string tight end who recorded all of six receptions over two seasons in Philly. Then again, it may not be long before those same people start taking notice of Trey Burton, a previously undrafted free agent out of Florida who suddenly stands to take on a bigger role in the team’s offense in 2015.
Nothing against Casey, who signed during the 2013 offseason and was quickly forgotten a month later when the Eagles selected Zach Ertz 35th overall in the draft. Despite the smaller-than-anticipated role, Casey became a key special teams contributor, finishing this past season second on the Eagles with 13 tackles to go along with two blocked punts.
That being said, the $4 million the six-year veteran was owed, according to Spotrac, is way too much for a special teamer—especially when there’s a younger, cheaper alternative already on the roster. Like Burton.
| B. Celek | 32 | 340 | 10.6 | 1 |
| Z. Ertz | 58 | 702 | 12.1 | 3 |
| J. Casey | 3 | 59 | 19.7 | 2 |
| T. Burton | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
NFL.com
Burton’s base salaries for 2015 and ’16 are $510,000 and $600,000, respectively. Burton is 23 years old to Casey’s 30. And while Burton has very little experience in an NFL offense, replacing the less than 15 percent of snaps Casey took in ’14, according to the game-charters at Football Outsiders, shouldn’t be a huge problem.
Sure, at his current list size of 6’3”, 235 pounds, Burton probably isn’t going to be the caliber of blocking tight end Casey is. Then again, he should only bulk up with time in an NFL conditioning program. Plus, the second-year pro has far more offensive potential based on other measurables, running a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash last year, via NFL.com.
| 2010 | 349 | 210 | 83 | 12 |
| 2011 | 125 | 149 | 16 | 4 |
| 2012 | 190 | 172 | 4 | 3 |
| 2013 | 56 | 445 | 0 | 1 |
Sports-Reference.com
In fact, Burton was one of the most versatile weapons in all of college football, lining up at wide receiver, running back and even quarterback. During his four seasons with the Gators, he managed to rack up 1,696 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns.
Burton didn’t see much action in Philly’s offense as a rookie, but his versatility was on full display during a 27-0 victory over the New York Giants back in Week 6. The “tight end” took five fourth-quarter carries as the Eagles iced the game, and although those touches resulted in just 10 yards, it goes to show how much head coach Chip Kelly trusts this young man.
Again, it helps that Burton is expected to step into a role as a No. 3 tight end who is likely to see limited action. However, it could be the first step toward an even larger role with the Birds.
USA TODAY Sports Ertz is still the heir apparent to the top spot, but with Brent Celek having turned 30 in January, it’s increasingly fair to wonder how much tread is left on the starter’s tires. Celek is under contract through 2016, so odds are he’s not departing anytime soon, but Burton could easily wind up the primary backup before anybody realizes.
It all depends on what Burton does with his limited snaps. That, and his special teams prowess—so far, so good on that front.
There’s no denying the Eagles are losing an absolute special teams stud in Casey, but Burton was no slouch in that department, either. The rookie was tied for seventh on the team with seven tackles, not to mention he recovered one of Casey’s blocked punts for a touchdown.
When it came to freeing up $4 million under the cap, releasing Casey was a no-brainer. That being said, it was an even easier decision when combined with the fact there was a promising young replacement already on the roster.
The Eagles don’t need four tight ends, and while Casey is the kind of high-character, high-effort player you prefer to have in your locker room, the reality is you can’t keep everybody. Especially not when young talents such as Burton are beating the door down for bigger and better opportunities.
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