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Casey at the bat

CloakNNNdagger

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
This would be a very interesting weapon that would fit perfectly into the Texans' chemistry and game plans.:


Casey at the bat

Scouts are intrigued by James Casey, Rice’s do-it-all prospect from Azle. As a freshman, Casey played seven positions in one game. He is working out as at tight end, where he’s been compared to Indianapolis’ Dallas Clark.

Casey told me last week that a few teams also have talked to him about doubling as a quarterback in the Wildcat, something he did at Rice.

"I’m one of the few players in college who had an opportunity to be a Wildcat quarterback," Casey said in a telephone interview. "It takes a different mind-set to do that, and I have experience doing it."

Tennessee Titans’ head scout C.O. Brocato thinks Casey will be drafted in the second round because of his versatility. Casey stands 6-foot-3, weighs 246 pounds, has a 41-inch vertical jump, managed 28 reps in the 225-pound bench press at the combine, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.71 seconds and has a 3.84 grade-point average as a triple major in economics, managerial studies and sports management.

"He’s a great athlete and a very interesting prospect," Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I like a guy that played baseball. It shows he’s athletic.

"Casey is very confident in his ability, and he’s willing to work hard to get what he wants."
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Additional information that shows his potentially amazing versatility:

3. He's a ridiculously good all-around athlete, having spent four years as a minor league baseball player and one season as a javelin thrower on Rice's track team.
4. He was so versatile at Rice that he started his first spring practice at safety, then got moved to defensive end, and also lined up at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, fullback and running back. Oh, and he also played special teams.And it's that last one that is the most interesting of all, because we really have no idea what position the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Casey will play in the NFL. After setting a Conference USA single-season record for catches with 111 last year, one would assume he'll play wide receiver or tight end, but that's not necessarily the case.

For his part, Casey told the Houston Chronicle he really doesn't know where he'll be drafted or where he'll play:

"It's really just speculation, but I've heard anywhere from like the second to fourth round," Casey said of his draft stock. "I didn't really put too much weight on that because I am an underclassmen and a lot of stuff goes into the draft as far as the combine. Just being older, I'm excited about it and ready to get started.
"Some teams might see me as a tight end or an H-back, but that's just each individual team. Some of them might have in mind what they might like, but that's out of my control so I'm going to keep working hard."
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My best guess is that an NFL team will try to bulk Casey up a bit and have him play tight end, but the most important thing to know about him is simply that he's a football player. Rice coach David Bailiff says of Casey, "He is the greatest player I've ever been around." That's the kind of endorsement NFL coaches will love to hear
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Yeah, I've been quietly hoping that we're able to pick Casey up in the later rounds. Unfortunaely, he had such a good combine, I think he's going to get picked up earlier than we can spare a pick for him.
 
DiehardChris said:
I like the guy - but if we draft a TE, he's got to be a great blocker. Casey is not that, from what I've read.
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Yeah, with Bruener gone, I think that's a good point. I think Bruener frequently gets overlooked because he didn't catch passes, but he did play quite a bit, I think. It would be funny if WE took Pettigrew; he's supposed to be the best in-line blocker of any of the TE's this draft.

EDIT: You know, I just read over Megan Manfull's comment that Bruener was inactive for a lot of games. So I guess I was overlooking him, too. I was pretty sure he played a lot in 2007 and I thought he was playing at about the same level last year. Guess i was wrong.
 
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The Pencil Neck said:
Yeah, with Bruener gone, I think that's a good point. I think Bruener frequently gets overlooked because he didn't catch passes, but he did play quite a bit, I think. It would be funny if WE took Pettigrew; he's supposed to be the best in-line blocker of any of the TE's this draft.

EDIT: You know, I just read over Megan Manfull's comment that Bruener was inactive for a lot of games. So I guess I was overlooking him, too. I was pretty sure he played a lot in 2007 and I thought he was playing at about the same level last year. Guess i was wrong.
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It is amazing that last year, we spent a great deal of discussion about Bruener's value to the team and his being our best blocking TE........and he only played in TWO games.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
It is amazing that last year, we spent a great deal of discussion about Bruener's value to the team and his being our best blocking TE........and he only played in TWO games.
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I think that says a lot about Daniels and Dreessen. I really didn't notice that Bruener wasn't playing.
 
I definately wouldn't be suprised if we drafted Casey in the 2nd or 3rd. Sure we have larger needs, but we've also got a young OC who wouldn't mind having some new toys to help him draw up some innovative new plays.

Casey could be a good role player for whichever team gets him and uses him properly.
 
DiehardChris said:
I like the guy - but if we draft a TE, he's got to be a great blocker. Casey is not that, from what I've read.
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At the combine, at 6'3", he weighed in at 246. This is about the same as Owens and Dreesen, and about 7 pounds less than Bruener. There is not enough to judge his blocking abilities. I would think that as a WR being known as a "punisher," especially with some proper coaching and weight training, he should have very little problem filling that role when called upon.

Analysis

Positives: Unique all-around athlete capable of contributing in various ways at the next level. Instinctive football player who simply makes plays. Good playing speed, though his actual 40 time is questionable. Good initial burst off the line of scrimmage. Good agility to make defenders miss in the open field. Good toughness. Willing to absorb the hit to gain positive yardage, but more often dishes out punishment. Natural hands for the reception. Good hand-eye coordination. Secure ball-carrier. Mature athlete with professional experience due to his baseball career.

Negatives: Lacks a true role and will be drafted based on athletic potential. Though many scouts view him as a potential tight end prospect, Casey has limited experience in this role and virtually none as a traditional blocker out of the three-point stance. Only two years of D-I experience and operated in a spread system perfectly tailored to his unique skill set. Due to his time playing baseball is older than most rookies (will turn 25 in September).
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BTW, last season, with his 111 receptions, he churned out 1329 yds and 13 TDs. Imagine what he could do for AJ's and our QB's numbers.
 
DiehardChris said:
I like the guy - but if we draft a TE, he's got to be a great blocker. Casey is not that, from what I've read.
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Actually there is no evidence that he is a great blocker, because he wasn't asked to block in Rice's spread offensive scheme. That doesn't mean that he isn't a capable blocker, or even a great blocker, it just means that he hasn't proved that he is. For all we know, he could be an excellent blocker.
 
BattleRedToro said:
Actually there is no evidence that he is a great blocker, because he wasn't asked to block in Rice's spread offensive scheme. That doesn't mean that he isn't a capable blocker, or even a great blocker, it just means that he hasn't proved that he is. For all we know, he could be an excellent blocker.
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Right. But if you're not sure about Casey, but you are sure about another TE, which one do you take? We have to take homerism out of the equation here. I'd love for us to draft local guys when possible, but not at the expense of getting what should be a STARTER in the 2nd or 3rd.

We have OD, and we have Dreessen who just signed a new contract. All we need now is an excellent blocker as a TE. There will be some of those in the later rounds. We have WAY too many other needs to be taking Casey in the 2nd or 3rd. If you absolutely must draft offense in the 2nd - let it be Unger if he's still on the board - or Eric Wood.
 
DiehardChris said:
All we need now is an excellent blocker as a TE.
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Now, first off, let me say that I agree with you that we shouldn't take Casey before the 4th and I don't think he's going to be there. UNLESS, Smithiak is able to trade back and pick up an extra 3rd.

But... with Bruener only active for 2 games last year, do we REALLY need a pure blocking TE? I don't think the lack of a blocking TE was what hurt us in the red-zone (although that could be argued, I guess.) But between the 20's at least, we rocked. So we weren't missing that blocking TE most of the time.
 
The Pencil Neck said:
Now, first off, let me say that I agree with you that we shouldn't take Casey before the 4th and I don't think he's going to be there. UNLESS, Smithiak is able to trade back and pick up an extra 3rd.

But... with Bruener only active for 2 games last year, do we REALLY need a pure blocking TE? I don't think the lack of a blocking TE was what hurt us in the red-zone (although that could be argued, I guess.) But between the 20's at least, we rocked. So we weren't missing that blocking TE most of the time.
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For a TE blocking is more of getting in the way than it is drive blocking. You dont have to be a big, not good at catching, not quite big or good enough to be a OT type players. Shannon Sharpe wasnt real big but was a good blocker.

I really like the guy but if we were going after a skill position guy then I think we would be gettting better value at the WR and RB position. A Donald Brown or L McCoy could give us a great duo and complete the RB position for years. Kenny Britt or Hakeem Nicks would possibly be the missing piece that turns our offense into an elite scoring machine ala the Colts the last few years.
 
DiehardChris said:
Right. But if you're not sure about Casey, but you are sure about another TE, which one do you take? We have to take homerism out of the equation here. I'd love for us to draft local guys when possible, but not at the expense of getting what should be a STARTER in the 2nd or 3rd.

We have OD, and we have Dreessen who just signed a new contract. All we need now is an excellent blocker as a TE. There will be some of those in the later rounds. We have WAY too many other needs to be taking Casey in the 2nd or 3rd. If you absolutely must draft offense in the 2nd - let it be Unger if he's still on the board - or Eric Wood.
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I'm sure that scouts and coaches can come up with some kind of routine for James Casey to use during his pro day to substantiate his claim that he is capable of blocking.

Maybe a one man sled or two man sled with the help of another lineman.

I would also guess that he might be willing to do it given time ahead of his pro day to practice for it.

I saw him on TV after the combine, and a reporter asked him about blocking. He said that he was capable of blocking, but he just wasn't asked to do it in Rice's offense.
 
I'd love for any team I'm a fan of to get Casey from Rice. Danny Arnold, who trains him, says he is first in, last out daily and the other day waited for guys to leave the training room after 2 workouts because he wanted to be the last out. He also threw..being a high school QB for scouts yesterday. This is the type guy you need

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/college/rice/6345395.html

Rice football coach David Bailiff watched closely as James Casey threw passes during the team’s pro day Thursday.

With a total of 35 NFL scouts littering the field at Rice Stadium, Casey launched one pass after another toward his targets downfield. It was Casey’s idea to throw, showcasing yet another of his talents. And scouts kept a watchful eye, realizing just why Bailiff had hoped Casey would return to Rice for one more season and become the Owls’ starting quarterback.

“He threw the ball pretty well,” said C.O. Brocato, Tennessee Titans national coordinator of college scouting. “He threw the long ball down the road. That isn’t any problem.

“I thought he was just what he was. Runs good routes, catches the ball, nothing fancy. Just plays football. And that’s what I like — football players.”

It was the first time scouts were able to see Casey throw, and it was the highlight of a pro day in which 28 NFL teams sent scouts. Three other Owls — Jarett Dillard, Chase Clement and Brian Raines — also participated. UH will hold its pro day for NFL scouts today.

Casey, who is slated to be drafted as an H-back or tight end, was aggressive in his pro day — asking to throw some passes and even running the 40-yard dash again. He recorded a faster 40 time on some stopwatches than he had at the NFL scouting combine in February, and his strong arm and accuracy also interested those watching.
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There is two things that is preventing James Casey from putting on a Texans Jersey:


1.) Owen Daniels
2.) He will be gone way before we consider him a BPA. (best player available)
 
A weapon like this + a Slaton clone RB would take our offense to the next level and make our offense unstoppable. RT22
 
TexansFan33 said:
There is two things that is preventing James Casey from putting on a Texans Jersey:


1.) Owen Daniels
2.) He will be gone way before we consider him a BPA. (best player available)
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Agree but I love guys like him that can do everything and who work so hard. Some team is going to score with him.
 
I'd rather have a pass catching offensive tackle than a blocking TE.

If we are only carrying two TE's on the active roster I don't see them taking a TE unless it is someone like Casey that can fill multiple needs. If he can be the third TE, back-up FB, 3rd QB and special teams player then I think that taking him in the second or third round would provide a lot of value. You'd be able to hang on to some guys you really like that might not have made the team.
 
TheRealJoker said:
I definately wouldn't be suprised if we drafted Casey in the 2nd or 3rd. Sure we have larger needs, but we've also got a young OC who wouldn't mind having some new toys to help him draw up some innovative new plays.

Casey could be a good role player for whichever team gets him and uses him properly.
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He can also long snap. Just sayin...
 
Casey is just one of those guys you want on your football team.

Every team in the league could use a guy like him.
 
I thought this thread was about the legend of Big Casey at the Bat. Lol!

I always loved that story and forgot all about it.
 
bah007 said:
Casey is just one of those guys you want on your football team.

Every team in the league could use a guy like him.
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I agree. I love the guys. the Cowboys are taking a look and think he may fit a Wildcat QB scenario

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/04/could-james-casey-be-cowboys-wildcat-qb.html

The Cowboys will send a scouting contingent to Houston tomorrow for a private workout with Rice TE James Casey, ESPN.com's Matt Mosley reports.

Casey, a 24-year-old Azle product, might be the most versatile player in the draft. He was a high school quarterback who spent four seasons pitching in the White Sox's system before going to Rice, where he played several positions but was primarily used as a tight end/H-back/slot receiver last season.

Casey (6-4, 246) has experience running Rice's variation of the Wildcat and could also contribute immediately on special teams. NFL Draft Scout compares him to a combination of New England WR Wes Welker and Indianapolis TE Dallas Clark.

If the Cowboys want Casey, they'll probably have to grab him with one of their first two picks. He isn't expected to last past the third round.
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I was wondering about this guy. His talk kind of fell off the map but I'm sure he will come back up again on or before draft day.
 
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