A look at Jurrell Casey's snap count going forward

In 2013 Jurrell Casey was one of the most dominant defensive players for the Tennessee Titans, without question. In a time where interior pass rush is king, there is no doubt that the Titans will want to make this a long-term arrangement. However, despite the fact that it feels like Casey was constantly impacting the game, he was only on the field for roughly 80% of the defensive snaps last year. I think that number could and should go down this year.

Many will think that I may be slamming Casey for this but I am absolutely not. Playing 80% of the snaps through injuries, while also missing Week 17 is proof of just how tough Casey is. So while it is very impressive that Casey managed that in 2013, with the plethora of defensive linemen that have been added to the roster he shouldn't have to do it again.

The Titans have Sammie Lee Hill, Karl Klug, DaQuan Jones, and they brought back Mookie Johnson, that rotation should clear out at least 30% of the total snaps at the DT spot. Besides, who wouldn't want to see more of Karl Klug, perhaps the most underutilized Titans defender?

The point I am making is: despite wanting to see Casey play more snaps every year, rest and longevity are important to keep in mind if Ray Horton lowers his snap count. Casey will finally have a defensive coordinator that isn't on the hot seat for the first time in two years, and don't be surprised if he doesn't want to wear out a cornerstone of this defense.