When the Eagles signed tight end James Casey as a free agent this offseason, coach Chip Kelly praised Casey’s versatility and pointed to the way the Patriots used to use Aaron Hernandez as an example of how a team could make use of such a versatile player.
Fast forward to Monday night and Casey was not part of the team’s offense until the game was over. The only two snaps he played on offense came in the victory formation at the end of the game as the Eagles ran out the clock, which was hardly what anyone envisioned when Casey was signed to a three-year, $12 million contract.
Casey admits he’s not happy to be on the sideline, but said he understood that second-round pick Zach Ertz’s arrival changed things and that he wouldn’t make any waves while playing on special teams and biding his time until he gets a chance on offense.
“I don’t need them coming, babysitting me and telling me, ‘Hey, it’s OK, it’s fine.’ I’m a grown man,” Casey said, via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “I understand the situation. I’m not gonna get mad about it or try to cause problems. It’s just part of what’s going on right now. The main thing is we won the game.”
Coach Chip Kelly said that the team spent most of the night playing just one tight end, limiting Casey’s opportunity to get on the field, but said he thought different weeks would bring different looks on offense. Until those weeks roll around, it looks like Casey’s going to be a well paid third tight end.