Randy Gregory - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Re-Sign WR Michael Gallup

March 13th, 2022 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys will avoid letting wide receiver Michael Gallup hit the free agent market after to a five-year, $57.5MM deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (on Twitter). After trading away Amari Cooper earlier this week, this moves cements that Dallas’s other three top pass catchers will be returning for the 2022 NFL season.

Gallup, 26, will collect $23MM in guarantees, with Pelissero noting this contract will max out at $62.5MM. A nice payday for Cooper’s former sidekick, whom the Cowboys have chosen over their four-year WR1.

A third-round pick out of Colorado State in 2018, Gallup broke out for 1,107 yards in 2019 alongside Cooper. The arrival of CeeDee Lamb in 2020 limited his production to a still impressive 843 yards as a number three receiver. Even in an injury-plagued 2021 season, Gallup enjoyed glimpses of success.

This news has been in the works for a while now with estimates that the Cowboys were aiming for a five-year pact with an annual average value around $10MM, but that Gallup’s camp may possibly having been pushing for a shorter commitment. Either the rumors about Gallup’s camp have been proven untrue or an annual average value of nearly $12MM was too enticing to turn down.

Regardless, the long-term, decently priced deal is a strong commitment to Gallup after he only played in nine games of his contract year due to a Week 1 calf injury and a season-ending ACL tear in Week 16. The contract seems to indicate that the Cowboys are confident in the medical information they are receiving on Gallup’s recovery.

With decisions made on Cooper and Gallup, and the franchise tag placed on Dalton Schultz, Dallas can focus its attention on the litany of other impact players set to hit the free agent market this week like Randy Gregory, Connor Williams, Leighton Vander Esch and Cedrick Wilson.

Broncos Expected To Pursue Pass Rushers, OL Help In Free Agency

March 12th, 2022 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Russell Wilson‘s impending Denver arrival positions the Broncos to be legitimate playoff contenders for the first time in six years, but the AFC West squad is expected to be active in free agency to fortify its roster around the Pro Bowl quarterback.

The Broncos are expected to target an elite pass rusher in free agency, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who also notes the team will pursue upgrades on its offensive line. Despite the Broncos taking on Wilson’s contract, they have more than $23MM in cap space. And they have been linked to reacquiring the best pass rusher in franchise history.

Von Miller has made social media overtures indicating interest in rejoining the Broncos, which would certainly make for an interesting development considering the team traded him for second- and third-round picks last year. An Aroldis Chapman-like scenario unfolding, in which the Broncos landed a strong midseason trade return and then re-signed the player, would stand to restock the team’s edge rush. Denver has Bradley Chubb‘s fifth-year option salary on its books but no other contracts of note at outside linebacker.

Miller has also been connected to staying in Los Angeles, and the Rams are confident their offer will convince Miller to stay. If the Broncos do not reacquire their all-time sack leader, La Canfora mentions Chandler Jones or Randy Gregory as options for the team. Jones, 32, is a year younger than Miller, and has been connected to the Broncos — among other teams — previously ahead of free agency. The Cardinals All-Pro bounced back after his injury-marred 2020, registering 10.5 sacks last season. Gregory will turn 30 this year, and his suspension history will certainly affect his market. But after delivering as a starter for the Cowboys last season, the former second-round pick will have a market.

Pro Football Focus ranked the Broncos’ O-line 19th last season. While four of the team’s five primary 2021 starters are under contract, only one (midseason sub Quinn Meinerz, who replaced an injured Graham Glasgow) was acquired during George Paton‘s GM stay. The Broncos are fairly committed to left tackle Garett Bolles, who signed an extension in 2020, and it would surprise if left guard Dalton Risner was not a starter in his contract year. The rest of Denver’s O-line, which again has a glaring right tackle void, should not be considered set. This year’s market is not particularly deep at right tackle, beyond injury-prone Trent Brown, so it will be interesting to see if Denver tries to fill that need on the market or with one of its three Day 2 draft choices.

DeMarcus Lawrence Declines Cowboys’ Pay-Cut Request

March 11th, 2022 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

FRIDAY: It appears the Cowboys asked for a hefty pay cut. They approached Lawrence about trimming his 2022 base salary from $19MM to $10MM, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. Lawrence nearly halving his salary would be difficult to envision, despite his injury-altered 2021 season. With free agency less than a week away, the Cowboys will need to make a call here. Progress between the sides has proven elusive, and the Cowboys may be prepared to stand down and keep Lawrence on his present salary, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

MONDAY: The Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence extension has not produced the kind of production he provided on his rookie contract or as a franchise-tagged player in 2018. Lawrence missed much of last season due to a broken foot, and the Cowboys will be forced into a decision on the veteran edge rusher soon.

Dallas requested Lawrence take a pay cut, but Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports the eight-year vet declined. Pay-cut requests often precede releases. The Cowboys would save $19MM by designating Lawrence a post-June 1 cut. While the team could make the cut at any point, it would not realize the savings until after that date.

Lawrence, 30 in April, is coming off a three-sack season. He has not totaled more than seven sacks in a season since 2018 but has helped teammates’ sack totals, as evidenced by Robert Quinn‘s bounce-back year in 2019. Lawrence wants to stay in Dallas, per Watkins, and cutting him would run the risk of the team losing both its edge starters.

The Cowboys are not planning to use their franchise tag on Randy Gregory, Watkins tweets. That is not surprising, given Gregory’s suspension history and the D-end tag checking in at $17.9MM. The Cowboys’ loyalty to Gregory during his hiatuses will surely factor into his free agency decision, but the talented pass rusher hitting the market obviously runs the risk of a defection. That complicates Dallas’ Lawrence decision.

Jerry Jones followed through with cutting DeMarcus Ware after requesting a pay cut in 2014. Ware went on to form an elite edge-rushing duo with Von Miller in Denver, doing so as Lawrence struggled to start his career. Lawrence found his footing by 2017, combining for 25 sacks over the next two seasons. The Cowboys tagged him twice but reached a five-year, $105MM extension soon after. Lawrence carries the Cowboys’ second-highest base salary in 2022.

Amari Cooper Not Drawing Trade Interest

March 4th, 2022 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

When attached to his rookie contract, Amari Cooper commanded a first-round pick in a trade. The Cowboys, who sent the Raiders their 2019 first ahead of the 2018 deadline, are not seeing nearly as much interest now that Cooper is tethered to a high-end receiver deal.

The Cowboys will try to trade Cooper, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes, but the veteran wideout has not drawn much interest. Even with teams having known the pricey wideout’s availability for weeks now, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes teams are not lining up to acquire his current contract (Twitter links). Cooper’s deal runs through 2024 and carries a $22MM cap number for this season. One receiver-needy team informed Robinson it has no interest in Cooper at this price. If no reasonable trade offer emerges, the Cowboys intend to cut Cooper.

In recent years, the draft has begun to provide teams with quality value at receiver, with the past few classes being flush with pass-catching help. With those rookies tied to low-cost deals for at least three seasons, value for players like Cooper — who signed a five-year, $100MM deal in 2020 — diminishes.

The Cowboys moving Cooper off their roster before March 20 saves them $16MM, funds that could be allocated to some of the team’s impending free agents. Cooper’s $20MM base salary becomes fully guaranteed on that fifth day of the 2022 league year. The team is interested in retaining Dalton Schultz, and Robinson adds it weighed Cooper’s cost with the ability to keep Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson and potentially Randy Gregory (Twitter links). Wilson, Gallup’s injury replacement in 2021, joins Gallup and Gregory in being on track for free agency. To go through with this plan, the Cowboys ($13.4MM over the cap) will need to make more moves to free up space.

Gallup potentially being available at a slight discount due to his ACL tear benefits the Cowboys, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, potentially factoring into the team’s plan. Retaining Gallup would be a cheaper option than keeping Cooper, though losing the latter would stand to put more pressure on CeeDee Lamb, who has benefited from defenses’ attention to Cooper. The Cooper-or-Gallup long-term choice has been on the team’s radar for a while now, and it appears a decision has been made.

Despite having played seven seasons, Cooper is just 27. He would certainly draw extensive interest on the open market. The prospect of the Packers franchise-tagging Davante Adams and the Buccaneers using a second tag on Chris Godwin would enhance Cooper’s value, if the Cowboys indeed release him. Cooper is a four-time Pro Bowler who has posted five 1,000-yard seasons.

Could The Cowboys Tag Randy Gregory Or Dalton Schultz?

February 22nd, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Two of the most important pending free agents in Dallas are defensive end Randy Gregory and tight end Dalton Schultz. As ESPN’s Todd Archer writes, each could be franchise tag candidates, as the team faces numerous tough roster decisions.

Gregory, despite being 29, is set to hit the open market for the first time in his career. After dealing with suspensions and injuries (including a knee problem that required recent surgery), he likely earned himself a payday in 2021, since he posted six sacks (which tied for a career high), along with three forced fumbles in 12 games. Along with DeMarcus Lawrence – who was himself tagged twice by the team, before ultimately signing a long-term extension – and Micah Parsons, Gregory was part of a dominant pass rush for the Cowboys this season.

Archer notes that the tag number for defensive ends is likely to be around $20MM. In part because of that high figure, he writes that “the Cowboys’ hope is that standing by Gregory through his off-field issues… will help them in securing a favorable long-term deal”.

As for Schultz, Archer believes a tag is more likely. The 25-year-old has grown into an important offensive contributor in the last two seasons, especially so in 2021, where he notched 78 receptions for 808 yards and eight touchdowns. A franchise tag for Schultz would cost the team just under $11MM, which is less than what Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry received when they signed with the Patriots in 2021, and, quite possibly, some of the other pending free agents at the position could get this year.

Tagging either one would, of course, leave the team in the position of needing to commit long-term to the other. Given the fact that, as Archer points out, Dallas is currently over the cap by more than $20MM, tough, there will inevitably be holes in the roster to be filled if the Cowboys are to remain Super Bowl contenders.

Surgery Updates For Cowboys’ Gregory, Gallup

February 3rd, 2022 at 10:45am CST by Adam La Rose

Big decisions are looming for the Cowboys this offseason, as they try to maintain one of the league’s most talented rosters. Two key pieces to the team – who both happen to be pending free agents coming off of significant injuries – are defensive end Randy Gregory and wide receiver Michael Gallup.

The former has already undergone knee surgery, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. While the issue bothered him throughout the season, it didn’t cost him any time (unlike one missed game because of COVID-19, and a calf strain that landed him on IR). Overall, the 12 games Gregory was able to play in was tied for the second most in his career, mainly as a result of multiple suspensions.

The 29-year-old is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. The Cowboys signed him to an extension in September of 2020, keeping him in the fold through this past year. He responded with six sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception, as he was a key member of Dallas’ impressive defensive unit. According to David Helman of Cowboys.com, owner and general manager Jerry Jones recently expressed optimism in being able to bring Gregory back: “Knowing our time together and some of the pluses and some of the times that we’ve had to work through and some of the not-so-fun things, that will serve us well”, he said.

Meanwhile, Gallup is scheduled to have knee surgery next week, writes Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. The 25-year-old tore his ACL at the beginning of the month, ending his season. He ended up with the lowest receiving yards of his four-year career, but his 2019 season (66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns) alone should earn him plenty of suitors if he hits the market. With a great deal of money already committed to Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb eligible for an extension as early as next season, the Cowboys may very well have to keep only one of Gallup or breakout tight end Dalton Schultz, who is also a pending UFA.

Both players are expected to make full recoveries, and be available for the start of the 2022 season. Whether or not they will playing in Dallas by that point remains to be seen.

Cowboys Activate Randy Gregory, Neville Gallimore From IR

December 11th, 2021 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys will have their starting defensive ends in uniform together for the first time since Week 1. Dallas moved Randy Gregory back onto its active roster Saturday.

Both Gregory and defensive tackle starter Neville Gallimore are back from IR. Gregory missed time because of a calf injury, while Gallimore has seen a more severe injury shelve him for the entire season. The second-year defensive tackle has missed all of the 2021 slate due to a dislocated elbow.

Gallimore, a 2020 third-round pick who started nine games as a rookie, returned to practice last week. Gregory’s IR-return window opened ahead of Week 14. The Cowboys will have both in uniform when they face Washington on Sunday. They will team with DeMarcus Lawrence, who returned in Week 13 after having missed 10 games, on a suddenly healthy defensive front.

Gregory has missed time for both this calf ailment and a COVID-19 contraction this season, but he has avoided more off-field trouble. The former 2015 second-rounder has been quite productive in his seven games this season. The oft-unavailable pass rusher has five sacks and 12 QB hits, setting himself up potentially for a payday in 2022. Gregory is due for free agency in March. The Cowboys are not planning to finalize any deals with their 2022 UFAs until season’s end.

Dallas being able to deploy its preferred Lawrence-Gregory defensive end duo will allow rookie dynamo Micah Parsons to spend more time at linebacker. The Cowboys’ edge unavailability has forced Parsons to play up front extensively, though the Penn State product has thrived pretty much wherever he has lined up.

Cowboys’ Randy Gregory Returns To Practice

December 8th, 2021 at 2:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

An important piece to the Cowboys’ defensive front may be on the way back. Randy Gregory returned to practice Wednesday, according to NFL.com’s Jane Slater (Twitter link).

The pass rusher had been placed on IR with a calf injury he suffered in a practice drill one month ago. That was a major blow to an improved Cowboys defense, and an interruption in Gregory’s most successful season to date. In seven games, he has recorded five sacks to go along with 12 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.

The news is the latest welcome sign for Dallas’ defensive line, as two-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence was activated from IR last week. If Gregory is able to return for Sunday’s game against Washington, it would mark the first time since Week 1 that both of the Cowboys’ starting defensive ends were available.

With second-year nose tackle Neville Gallimore also returning to practice, the potential for a healthy defensive line would have an impact on standout rookie Micah Parsons. An off-ball linebacker by trade, the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft has been forced to play on the edge for long stretches this year, recording 10 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Latest On Cowboys’ D-Line Injuries

November 21st, 2021 at 10:25am CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys should be getting a major boost to their front seven within the month. Defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, both currently on IR, could be back in action in the next three to four weeks, per club VP Stephen Jones (Twitter link via Jon Machota of The Athletic). DT Neville Gallimore is on the same timeline.

Dallas responded to its surprising loss at the hands of the Broncos in Week 9 by administering a thorough dismantling of the Falcons last week, and the 7-2 outfit has the makings of a legitimate championship contender. Getting back two of their top pass rushers would, of course, go a long way towards a deep playoff run.

Lawrence played in the Cowboys’ season opener but then suffered a broken foot in practice, which has kept him on the sidelines ever since. The 29-year-old has not been producing the type of gaudy sack totals that he amassed over the 2017-18 seasons — which helped earn him a five-year, $105MM contract in March 2019 — but he is still a key piece of Dallas’ defensive front.

Gregory, after missing a great deal of time due to suspensions over his first few seasons in the league, had posted five sacks and 12 QB hits through seven games this year before suffering a calf injury in practice earlier this month. He is out of contract at season’s end, and if he continues to play well when he returns, he could be in line for a nice payday. The current expectation is that the club will explore a long-term pact with him this offseason.

Gallimore, a 2020 third-rounder, started nine games in his rookie campaign and was expected to serve as a starter again this year. A dislocated elbow has kept him on the shelf all season, but if nothing else, he could be a useful rotational piece on the interior of the D-line. Third-round rookie Osa Odighizuwa and veteran Carlos Watkins have not been especially effective as the Cowboys’ starting DT tandem in 2021.

Cowboys Place Randy Gregory On IR

November 11th, 2021 at 5:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Randy Gregory is heading to injured reserve after all. The Cowboys announced today that they’ve placed the pass rusher on injured reserve.

We already knew that Gregory’s calf injury was going to sideline him for at least one game, but it sounded like the team was considering keeping him off IR. Ultimately, that won’t be the case, and Gregory will now be sidelined for the next three games. Gregory suffered the injury during a one-on-one drill on Wednesday, and a subsequent MRI revealed the strain.

Gregory has largely done well to stay on the field this season, which comes after the former second-round pick spent much of his career away from the Cowboys due to suspensions. In seven games, Gregory has recorded five sacks and 12 quarterback hits. The seventh-year D-lineman has added a team-high two forced fumbles during what has been a breakthrough season.

When Gregory was sidelined earlier this season, the team moved first-rounder Micah Parsons to defensive end, so the team could go back to that configuration for the next few weeks. Despite playing mostly in an off-ball role, Parsons has matched Gregory’s five sacks. No other Cowboy edge rusher has more than one sack, however.