Randy Gregory informed the Dallas Cowboys on March 14 that he was not accepting the contract offer the team had just announced.
Instead, the defensive end has agreed to sign a five-year, $70 million contract offer to join the Denver Broncos. According to several sources, the issue stemmed from language in the contract relating to player conduct that was inserted at the last minute.
Gregory has had numerous run-ins with the NFL during his six years in the league, many arising from alleged drug use that resulted in suspensions.
ESPN reports that Gregory was suspended for 54 games between being drafted in 2015 up to the 2021 season. He missed 14 games in 2016, all of 2017, two games in 2018, all of 2019, as well as six games in 2020, all for drug-related offenses.Â
Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweeted that the objectionable language in the contract is not unique to Gregory. The language provided the team the right to remove bonuses and/or guaranteed money if a player was fined or suspended.Â
The 2021 season was the first since his rookie campaign that Gregory did not miss a game due to suspension.
The player was unavailable in week two due to COVID-19 protocols and for another four games in November after a calf strain. The Cowboys announced on January 21 that Gregory was undergoing offseason surgery to repair damage to his knee. The injury affected his play during the season, but he did not miss time as a result.
Shortly after the news broke that Gregory would sign with Denver rather than Dallas, NFL sources stated that the Cowboys had shown interest in free-agent Von Miller, who had a record-setting career with the Broncos. Miller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams last season on a one-year deal.
Miller was born in DeSoto, Texas, and attended Texas A&M. He reportedly owns a home in the North Texas area. NFL Network Reporter Jane Slater said that she heard from someone close to the player that he would “love to come to Dallas.”
The Cowboys previously secured a contract with DeMarcus Lawrence by taking advantage of a release clause in his original contract that allowed the team to renegotiate the terms and reduce the cap hit Lawrence represented. The contract move was seen as a necessary step in order for the team to afford Gregory.
Lawrence missed most of the 2021 season after suffering a broken bone in his foot during practice. He returned in December and immediately became a force on the defense. In a December 26 game against Washington, Lawrence tipped a pass back to himself and returned the ball for a touchdown to pad an early-game lead.Â
The Cowboys entered the offseason with one of the NFL’s worst cap situations, but through various trades (like sending Amari Cooper to Cleveland), releases (including Greg Zuerlein and Blake Jarwin), and restructured deals (with Dak Prescott and other big-cap players), the Cowboys have whittled the books to create some of the most available cash of any team in the league.
The official 2022 NFL league year began at 4 p.m. Eastern on March 16.   Â
