Dallas Cowboys: Randy Gregory sparking defense

ByStephen Forsha|

There are a lot of good things being said about Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive end Randy Gregory after two preseason games, and for good reason.

The steal of the second round for the Cowboys at selection No. 64 is turning out to be a golden ticket of sorts for “America’s Team” after preseason road games at the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers.

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Though those two franchises seem to be headed in different directions, Gregory has taken full advantage of his time on the field by recording a sack in both games. That type of pass rush is one of the reasons, if not the main reason, the Cowboys swooped up the services of Gregory when he fell to them like an early Christmas gift in May during the aforementioned second round.

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Gregory was a first-round talent but had some off-the-field issues while at Nebraska that caused teams to pass on him at least twice in May’s draft. What others were afraid to do, the Cowboys took the chance, and at least right now the risk taking seems to be paying off.

The Cowboys believed in Gregory so much they even gave him the coveted No. 94 jersey which some of the greatest Cowboy defensive ends have worn, including Hall of Famer Charles Haley and future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware, who is currently with the Denver Broncos.

Brandon George of DallasNews.com wrote the following about how Gregory is living up “to the standards of pervious DEs to wear No. 94.”

"“On Sunday night, Gregory beat San Francisco four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley for a sack of quarterback 49ers Colin Kaepernick in the first quarter. Gregory pushed hard up field, gave Staley a stutter step and then used his speed to rush past him on the outside.”"

Later, Gregory was quoted in the article knowing just what type of feat it is to get a sack while facing the 49ers’ Joe Staley, one of the best offensive tackles in all of football, and I believe it just taps the potential Gregory can bring to the Cowboys this season.

Jun 16, 2015; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90) in action during minicamp at Dallas Cowboys Headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Think about this … when Week 5 arrives, the Cowboys will have three pretty solid defensive ends to choose from in some type of rotation or can possibly use one as an outside linebacker if needed in Gregory, Demarcus Lawrence and veteran Greg Hardy, who is suspended for the first four games of the season due to his off-the-field issues.

Even if you are reading this and aren’t a fan of the Cowboys, one must be excited to see the young guns of the Cowboys in Gregory and Lawrence on each side of the defense with both second-round selections poised to make a great impact on the defensive rebuild.

Last season, Lawrence missed many games after being injured in the preseason a year ago. He played in just seven regular-season games where he totaled nine tackles (six solo) and no sacks. In two playoff games, the play of Lawrence started to show, not with his three tackles, but his two sacks, one each against the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. He also forced a fumble in the Wild Card playoff game against the Lions.

Add that with the potential of Gregory, and the Cowboys could have something very special with their defense. If Gregory does play up to that “potential” many believe he has … well, that spark mentioned earlier could become a full-fledged blaze on defense of the Cowboys, which is something I believe they lacked last season.

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