Randy Gregory, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Here is why Randy Gregory is going to the Denver Broncos instead of staying with the Dallas Cowboys in his NFL free agency.
Everybody and their brother thought Randy Gregory was sticking with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday morning, but he is heading to the Denver Broncos now.
After almost signing a five-year, $70 million deal with the Cowboys, $28 million of that being fully guaranteed, Gregory turned heel and will be heading west to Denver. This bad deal is now going to be on the Broncos’ books, so good luck with that. While Dallas was the presumptive favorite to retain his services, what went wrong in the 11th hour that swayed Gregory’s decision to leave?
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided a little bit of clarity on Gregory’s change of heart.
Why Randy Gregory backed out of his Cowboys deal to go play for the Broncos
The breakdown had everything to do with the language of the contract, apparently. What was supposedly put into Gregory’s five-year offer with the Cowboys had ramifications built in there to protect the Dallas franchise. Gregory is a talented player, but one with a troubled past. He has missed seasons before, which is why he is only now just hitting free agency in his very late 20s.
Denver clearly prioritized adding Gregory to its defense this offseason. With the Broncos already trading for superstar quarterback Russell Wilson, they are expecting to play with a few more leads this upcoming season. So with that in mind, no wonder they went after a top-five pass-rusher hitting the open market in Gregory. Maybe he will break the 10-sack threshold in Denver uniform?
Though the deals will be similar, the finer language in the Cowboys’ contract was the breakdown.