Early on Tuesday morning, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Dallas Cowboys signed pass rusher Randy Gregory to a one-year contract extension through the 2020 season. This decision by Dallas comes off as puzzling at best, as Gregory hasn’t lived up to his expectations as a second-round selection back in 2015.
A day after acquiring Robert Quinn last week, the #Cowboys quietly extended suspended DE Randy Gregory’s contract through 2020. $310K of existing 2019 salary converted to signing bonus. Added year worth $735K, more with escalator. Team has stayed hopeful Gregory plays in 2019.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 2, 2019
Randy Gregory Signs Extension With Dallas Cowboys
There are quite a few reasons why the move to extend Gregory is puzzling. Gregory, a second-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2015, has served suspensions in all but one of his four seasons in the NFL. That’s not good.
Despite being in the league for only four years, Gregory is currently serving his fourth suspension by the NFL. In fact, Gregory was a projected top 10 talent in the 2015 draft but fell all the way to the Cowboys at the 60th overall pick, after he failed a whopping three drug tests leading up to the draft.
Gregory started 12 games as a rookie for Dallas in 2015 before he suffered an ankle injury and missed the final four games of that season. Not long after the 2015 campaign, Gregory was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse. While he was set to serve that four-game suspension, he was tested again and did not pass. Following his failed test while already suspended, the NFL increased the 2016 ban from four games to ten games.
Gregory Failed to Build on Promising Season
In January of 2017, Gregory was once again found violating the substance abuse policy and was hit with a third suspension that kept him away from football for the entirety of the 2017 season. Gregory did manage to see the field for a change last season, as he appeared in a career-high 14 games for Dallas. The 26-year-old also recorded career-highs on the stat sheet, with 25 total tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
With a chance to build on his promising 2018 campaign, Gregory has been suspended for the fourth time this off-season. His most recent ban is indefinite, meaning there is no telling if/when he will be back, but the Cowboys are still giving him an opportunity not many teams would by extending his contract.
