Jurrell Casey Settles in to New Surroundings

Former Titans defensive lineman finds Denver's luxurious training facility to his liking.

The trade that sent him to Denver meant more than just a change of scenery for Jurrell Casey.

It landed him in the lap of NFL luxury.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” Casey said Tuesday, when asked about the Broncos’ training complex. “In Tennessee, they’re doing a lot of upgrades now. So, I’m pretty sure in the next year or two it’s going to be a great facility also.”

Casey ended up in Denver in March, when the Tennessee Titans traded him to free up salary cap space. A third-round pick by the Titans in the 2011 NFL Draft, he started more games on defense for them (137) than any player since the start of the 1999 season.

Beyond the amenities, though, the Pro Bowl defensive lineman sees a lot of similarities between his new home and his former one, where he spent the first nine years of his NFL career.

“Everybody that’s here reminds of me of Tennessee: kind, nice and straight sweethearts,” he said. “I love it because when you have a friendly, family atmosphere around you. It makes you come to work and makes you love this game a whole lot more. That’s something I love being around here.”

Casey was not initially happy about the trade. In his initial response on social media, he admitted that he was “confused (and) hurt” when franchise officials informed him on the deal, in which Denver sent a seventh-round draft pick to Tennessee. Later, he said he felt franchise officials discarded him “like a piece of trash.”

His emotions were understandable given that he had long made it known he wanted to spend his entire career with one franchise.

With training camp underway, his focus has turned to making sure he is the same person and player he always has been – even if his surroundings are different.

“I’m stepping in full throttle to try and be a leader of this team,” he said. “That’s all I know and that’s all I’ve been around—strong leadership qualities. I can’t let that change now because I’m somewhere different. … This business comes down to making sure you put the right people on the field that you feel is best. Teams [will] come for you if they feel like you can help their team out and build. That’s the process we’re in now. They brought me here to Denver to help this defense stay on top, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”