Dallas Cowboys shouldn’t expect much from Randy Gregory
By Joel W. Cade
The Dallas Cowboys defensive line might get a significant addition this summer. Defensive end Randy Gregory is applying for reinstatement.
The Dallas Cowboys could be adding a pass rush specialist.
Oft suspended and rarely seen defensive end Randy Gregory is officially applying for reinstatement on Thursday.
His application will be submitted to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell who will have sixty days to rule on the application.
#Cowboys suspended DE Randy Gregory, who recently spent more than 6 weeks in intensive drug and alcohol rehab in addition to counseling, will submit his application for reinstatement to the @NFL tomorrow, sources say. 60 days from now is mid-July — right before training camp.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 16, 2018
It is understandable if Cowboys fans have completely forgotten about Gregory or even have no idea who he is. Certainly the NFL Commissioner’s office has not. Gregory’s issues began before the draft when he failed the drug test at the combine. Most consider this an intelligence test. But the Cowboys drafted him anyway.
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Drafting someone with off the field concerns is not unheard of in the NFL. And Gregory was definitely the model of off the field problems. Most players with off field concerns fall to day three. But Gregory was a first round, potential top five pick talent. The Cowboys decided to take him in round two of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was drafted early for a player a team is taking a chance on. From the very beginning he was going to be a steal or a colossal bust.
So far, he has been a bust. He played in twelve games his rookie season. Then the troubles began. That off season he was suspended for four games in the 2016 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. But before that suspension was over, he failed another drug test and was promptly suspended for 10 more games. Before that suspension was over, it was reported he tested positive again. The league heard his appeal before the 2016 playoffs and banned him immediately.
Now Gregory is travelling the long round back into the NFL. If he can make it back, he would join the likes of Ricky Williams and others who have overcome drug related issues to be successful. But for now he is in league with the Cleveland Browns Josh Gordon as a “let’s wait and see what he does next” type of player.
Either way Gregory is not someone the Cowboys can rely on. At his best, Gregory has been a pass rush specialist who has been less than special. He has not played well against the run. His value would lie in his ability to rush the passer in third down situations. But to do that effectively, he will need to develop as a pass rusher.
Anyone expecting Gregory to be reinstated and make a significant impact with be disappointed. Even to say he showed “flashes” in 2015-16 is stretching the definition of “flashes”. For now, Cowboys fans can enjoy the “feel good” story of redemption that may or may not be Randy Gregory. If nothing else, his story will be good PR for the Cowboys.
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But Cowboys fans certainly should not expect him to make an impact on the field. But if Gregory is reinstated, having him back in the fold may make a huge impact on his life. That alone with make Gregory worth watching.