The Dallas Cowboys lost Randy Gregory, after thinking they retained him, and now need to look to the open market to find another starting defensive end
On Tuesday, it appeared the Dallas Cowboys were going to retain free agency pass-rusher Randy Gregory as the two sides apparently came to terms on a multi-year extension. But then, Dallas reportedly tried to put some offset language in the deal that upset Gregory and his camp, and he bolted.
Gregory ended up signing with the Denver Broncos, which means the Cowboys are now stuck without a starter opposite DeMarcus Lawrence. The good news, however, is that there are still some options available for them in free agency.
Here we look at three players who could end up being excellent fits as a replacement for Randy Gregory.
Dallas Cowboys EDGE replacement No. 3: Dante Fowler
Dante Fowler is a player who has not yet lived up to his expectations. A former No. 3 overall pick, he had eight sacks in his second season with the Jacksonville Jaguars but then did very little until his fourth season in the league.
While playing for the Los Angeles Rams, where Aaron Donald got roughly five blockers assigned to him on every play, Fowler racked up 11.5 sacks. He turned that into a new deal with the Atlanta Falcons where he worked with Dan Quinn.
Fowler didn’t pan out with the Dirty Birds but Quinn clearly liked him. There’s a chance the two could try and connect once again as the Cowboys could bring in a younger player who has a lot of potential that could be untapped still.
Dallas Cowboys EDGE replacement No. 2: Anthony Barr
Another former first-round pick, Anthony Barr might not seem like a perfect replacement at first. For the past eight seasons, he’s been a linebacker in Mike Zimmer’s defense with the Minnesota Vikings.
For what it’s worth, he’s been a great linebacker too. Barr has made it to four Pro Bowls (from 2015 through 2018) and racked up 495 tackles and 17.5 sacks in his career. While he’s done good in this role, Barr might have had just as much success as a pass rusher. In fact, that’s what he would have been had the Dallas Cowboys landed him.
Back in the 2014 NFL Draft, Dallas was scouting Barr as they were looking for someone to replace DeMarcus Ware — their top defensive end who they released in a salary-cap move. Barr was gone at No. 9 so Dallas never had a shot at him, although they did alright with Zack Martin at No. 16.
The Cowboys then traded up in the second round to select Boise State defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who is still their best pass rusher. Fast forward to 2022, and the Cowboys have a chance to bring in the edge rusher who they ended up with in 2014 as well as one that they had their eye on in Barr.
It might be a little ‘out of the box’ but putting the 6-foot-5, 257-pounder in Gregory’s old role could be a lot of fun for Dan Quinn.
Dallas Cowboys EDGE replacement No. 1: Von Miller
Losing Randy Gregory is not a good thing at all, but the Cowboys could still find a way to make something good come from it. And the best thing they could do is turn this loss into a move for Von Miller.
The former Texas A&M standout is fresh off his second Super Bowl win as he joined the Los Angeles Rams late in the 2021 season and helped them win it all. Now a free agent, Miller is looking for his next home and according to sources, he would be interested in heading back to Texas and playing for Dallas.
"“Tuesday afternoon brought with it vitriol from Cowboys fans on all sides regarding the Randy Gregory situation, but it also brought news involving Miller and the Dallas Cowboys. NFL Network’s Jane Slater noted that interest from Miller in joining the Cowboys is ‘certainly there.'” — RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys"
Miller is also interested in returning to the Denver Broncos, who drafted him back in the loaded 2011 NFL Draft. In addition to this, he has an open mind when it comes to returning to L.A. — although their cap situation is a bit muddy.
Dallas, on the other hand, has freed up a lot of money with the move to trade Amari Cooper to Cleveland as well as their extension with DeMarcus Lawrence. So not only could they offer Miller a two or three-year deal with a solid base salary, but they also could give him a chance to come home.
If that works out, all would likely be forgiven with the Randy Gregory mishandling.