Is the signing of Randy Gregory a mistake by George Paton?
Mar 16, 2022, 6:39 AM
The Denver Broncos have taken their time in free agency. I wrote about the patience Broncos fans needed on Tuesday at DenverFan.com, and it wasn’t too far into the day before Denver made another free agent move – and perhaps a controversial one.
On Tuesday morning, it was announced the Broncos had come to an agreement with Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory. It was an interesting move because just moments before the Broncos secured his services, it was reported that he was staying with the Cowboys.
DAL really pulled a DeSean Jackson before crossing the goal line. my lawd
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 15, 2022
Broncos general manager George Paton stole Gregory away from the Cowboys, but it’s a move that comes with more risks than we usually see from players added by the new Broncos regime.
Is the signing of Gregory a mistake by Paton? Let’s take a look.
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Paying for Potential
In the NFL, most contracts are not paid on potential. Usually, contracts in the NFL are paid on production and the future for more of the same. With Gregory, we have yet to see him play up to his potential, yet he was highly paid by the Broncos with a five-year, $70 million contract.
He’s never had double-digit sacks in a season during his time with the Cowboys. A second-round pick of the Cowboys out of Nebraska in the 2015 NFL Draft, Gregory has reached his career-high in sacks (6.0) only two times (2018, 2021). It’s fine to sign a player based off potential, but the Broncos seemingly signed Gregory to a top-market deal even though he’s not produced the way other free agents like Chandler Jones has in the NFL.
Yes, Gregory is a physical freak, and his skill set is easy to see on the field. He’s fast around the edge, has the power to push through blockers and has the length to shed opponents quickly. I could see Gregory posting 12-plus sacks this year with the Broncos, but the way he’s getting paid you would think he’s already done that in the NFL.
🚨 FREE AGENCY UPDATE 🚨
Randy Gregory is signing a 5-year, $70M deal with the Broncos, per @MikeGarafolo pic.twitter.com/a2d9Zz7EFm
— PFF (@PFF) March 15, 2022
It wasn’t that long ago that Gregory was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for substance abuse violations. In addition to his suspensions, Gregory has also been bit by the injury bug during his pro career. In five pro seasons, Gregory has never played a full slate of games. Good thing the Broncos only gave him $28 million guaranteed with this contract, meaning if things don’t work out with Gregory they can move on after two seasons.
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He’s Not Von
Most of Broncos Country wanted to see Von Miller return to the Mile High City. Miller, a future Hall of Famer and Super Bowl 50 MVP, was traded away to the Los Angeles Rams late last season, where he went on to help them win a Super Bowl. Miller is now a free agent, and he’s teased Broncos fans on social networking about a return to Denver.
Gregory is not Von, and many Broncos fans won’t like their team chose him instead of the fan favorite Miller. The Broncos got two picks for Miller from the Rams, a second- and a third-round pick, which allowed them to throw more picks at the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson. With the relationship that Miller and Wilson have, it would make sense to bring Miller back to play with his friend this season. Instead, Miller is still available, and Gregory is a Bronco.
Miller showed that he still has more left in the tank with the Rams. In 12 games with the Rams (including the postseason), Miller compiled 9.0 sacks – more than Gregory had in 12 games with the Cowboys last season. There is no doubt that Miller would command double teams and help free things up for Bradley Chubb on the opposite side. Gregory should do that as well, but we don’t yet know how much his sacks total will rise with a fresh start.
Whiff on Randy Gregory but I’m told there is a very strong interest on Von Miller’s part in coming to Dallas. Got a home very close to the facility. 🤷🏼♀️
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) March 15, 2022
As of this writing, we’re waiting to see where Miller lands in free agency. The Rams seemed to be the most likely to sign him back, but there are rumblings that the Cowboys – his hometown team – are on his radar. There’s also a chance that Miller gets more money (in terms of annual salary) than Gregory. We’ll then see who has more production, Miller with his new team or Gregory with the Broncos.
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Cowboys Lament
I reached out to people around the Cowboys franchise for more information on Gregory, and the responses may shock some Broncos fans. I’m excited about what they told me about Gregory, and Broncos fans might change their minds about this signing after reading what was texted to me.
The first text I sent about Gregory was met with a “stop taking all of our guys!” and an LOL from this Cowboys source. That same person went on to tell me how much Gregory has turned things around during his time in Dallas. He went from a player indefinitely suspended to a team leader over the last couple of years.
The second person I texted about Gregory told me more about his work habits. I was messaged about Gregory’s strength, length, hustle, violent striking hands and burst around the edge. This Cowboys source also informed me that he doesn’t think Gregory knows how to stack moves just yet. He does have a bag of tricks as a rusher, but Gregory needs to learn how to string moves together. With a player who has missed more games than he’s played in, it’s something we should expect.
The Randy Gregory reversal to the #Broncos was 100-percent a matter of the #Cowboys tinkering with contract language at the last moment. Like it or not, you can’t come in with that maneuver when there’s another team on hold, just waiting for an opening.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 15, 2022
The Cowboys are lamenting the fact they let Gregory get away. This is not a case where Dallas uses this sort of language in all contracts, but other teams don’t. The Cowboys tried to change things for Gregory at the last minute, he caught on and they lost their man. Their loss could certainly be the Broncos gain.
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Summary
So, is the Gregory signing a mistake? I would say no at this time. However, it’s a risky move from a general manager who usually doesn’t take those type of chances.
I believe in Paton and his eye for talent. The natural and physical talent of Gregory is easy to see – it always has been. However, he needs to stay out of trouble with the league and stay healthy for this sizable investment to pay off for the Broncos.
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