It’s been nearly a month since Randy Gregory officially submitted papers for reinstatement with the NFL and it will be at least another month until he hears any kind of response. But, that hasn’t stopped Dallas Cowboys fans from speculating as to what kind of player he will be upon his return.
We all know how talented Randy Gregory was coming out of Nebraska and the only reason he slid to the Cowboys in the second-round was because of his off the field drug-related problems. He was without a doubt a top 10 talent in the 2015 NFL Draft, which is why Dallas took a chance on him to begin with. It’s that talent fans are hoping he can bring to the Cowboys defense.
We all witnessed firsthand what happens to a player when they are finally able to put everything together last season when DeMarcus Lawrence took the league by storm. Like Gregory, he had his off the field problems early in his career and on top of that reoccurring back injuries kept him from playing up to his potential. But, once he was able to put all of that behind him he absolutely dominated. Fans are hoping for the same with Gregory.
I don’t know where you personally stand on what you expect if/when Randy Gregory returns to the Dallas Cowboys, but I’m not expecting very much and I’ll tell you why.
As much as I would love to see Randy Gregory return from his suspension and absolutely dominate, I am going to pump the brakes and try to be realistic with my expectations. It would make a fantastic comeback story, but I think it’s important to not to expect too much right now.
It’s a little difficult to know exactly what kind of player Randy Gregory will be if the NFL decides to reinstate him. He only played in 12 games as a rookie before his off the field struggles started to earn him a suspension after suspension. The last suspension ended up costing him an entire year, which has to be the most concerning for fans, and the Dallas Cowboys, moving forward.
He has missed so much time in his development it’s hard to imagine him being able to step back on the field and pick up where he left off. Training on your own is completely different from being in a NFL strength and conditioning program. I don’t think he will be anywhere near being “football” ready.
I kind of doubt he has been training in pads or taking hits during his time off. Those kind of things can’t be replicated very easily off on your own. That’s not even mentioning his mental state. Has he gotten his life together? Will he have a relapse? Is he mentally ready to study and play once again?
These are all questions that will need to be answered if/when he is reinstated for the Cowboys. While it’s a nice story to believe he can just jump right back in and become a difference making pass rusher, it’s important to not expect too much right away.
The Dallas Cowboys mantra after all is “Trust the Process”.
It might take him a little while to get back in shape, but i expect him to have a good 2nd half of the season and when we get to the playoffs he will be about 95% to 100% back to where he was… So please stop with all that negative BS. He will get stronger every game.
You’re right, he should be much better in the second half of the season. But, I’m talking about expecting too much from him right away. It’s highly doubtful he’ll be able to step right back on the field and contribute right away. I wasn’t being negative, just realistic.
Guy hasn’t played a down of football in over 2 years.
That’s exactly why we should limit our expectations for him right away. That’s a lot of time away from the game.
I wanna know how you miss two years and just come back and automatically get a roster spot without proving it on the field
Exactly!
Gregory has a lot to get done in camp if reinstated by the league. Has to show enough football skills to warrant being given time to build more game back, and Garrett has to believe in his rehab. You figure this is his last strike on the Cowboys.
He’s certainly aware of all that, we just have to hope it’s motivating for him as a person and a Cowboy. If we get him back and he’s not flunking his drug screens, then he fits the DL well in it’s rotations. Just has to work long downs and crash the backfield from RDE. If we got that + Irving + Lawrence all year, it’s going to stop a lot of drives and determine a lot of games.
If the defensive line rotates how Marinelli has built it to, then he should be able to get some good reps in throughout the season. The fact that we aren’t dying for another defensive lineman for once will give us the upper hand in this situation. Hoping he can pull it together and help Dallas beat up Eli/Wentz/Smith!
I could see Gregory getting some work as a rotational pass rush specialist, but I think that’s about as much as we should expect from him if he’s reinstated.
Just Curious why he waited to file a month ago when he was eligible to turn his paperwork at the end of the season.
Both Gregory and his team wanted to put together the best case possible for his reinstatement.
Ah Gotcha
My real question is considering how much time he has missed how much longer do we retain his rights?
I believe the Cowboys still have his rights for three more years. I don’t think his year-long suspension counted as an accured season, much like Jaylon Smith missing time his rookie season because of his knee injury.
Okay thanks for the info.