The NFL conditionally reinstated Randy Gregory from suspension yesterday. You're probably familiar with the name, as he's a former second-round pick out of Nebraska who had 16.5 sacks in just 23 college games. But you may also be wondering what the fuss is, considering his nondescript NFL career (just 1 sack in 14 career games).
But although he's missed nearly all of the last two seasons due to violations of the league's substance abuse policy, he's clean now. And teams recognize the importance of a strong pass rush, something Dallas really hasn't had for quite a while.
Over the last six seasons, the Cowboys have ranked 20th or worse in sacks four times; no higher than 13th in any of them. Only five teams have fewer sacks than they do over that timeframe.
TEAM SACKS, 2012-2017 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Tot | |
Carolina | 39 | 60 | 40 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 280 | |
LA Rams | 52 | 53 | 40 | 41 | 31 | 48 | 265 | |
Denver | 52 | 41 | 41 | 52 | 42 | 33 | 261 | |
Green Bay | 47 | 44 | 41 | 43 | 40 | 37 | 252 | |
New England | 37 | 48 | 40 | 49 | 34 | 42 | 250 | |
Minnesota | 44 | 41 | 41 | 43 | 41 | 37 | 247 | |
Pittsburgh | 37 | 34 | 33 | 48 | 38 | 56 | 246 | |
Arizona | 38 | 47 | 35 | 36 | 48 | 37 | 241 | |
Tennessee | 39 | 36 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 236 | |
Baltimore | 37 | 40 | 49 | 37 | 31 | 41 | 235 | |
Seattle | 36 | 44 | 37 | 37 | 42 | 39 | 235 | |
Buffalo | 36 | 57 | 54 | 21 | 39 | 27 | 234 | |
Cincinnati | 51 | 43 | 20 | 42 | 33 | 41 | 230 | |
Kansas City | 27 | 47 | 46 | 47 | 28 | 31 | 226 | |
Philadelphia | 30 | 37 | 49 | 37 | 34 | 38 | 225 | |
Chicago | 41 | 31 | 39 | 35 | 37 | 42 | 225 | |
Washington | 32 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 42 | 223 | |
Houston | 44 | 32 | 38 | 45 | 31 | 32 | 222 | |
Jacksonville | 20 | 31 | 45 | 36 | 33 | 55 | 220 | |
Miami | 42 | 42 | 39 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 217 | |
New Orleans | 30 | 49 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 42 | 216 | |
Detroit | 34 | 33 | 42 | 42 | 26 | 35 | 212 | |
NY Jets | 30 | 41 | 45 | 39 | 27 | 28 | 210 | |
LA Chargers | 38 | 35 | 26 | 32 | 35 | 43 | 209 | |
Indianapolis | 32 | 42 | 41 | 35 | 33 | 25 | 208 | |
San Francisco | 38 | 38 | 36 | 28 | 33 | 30 | 203 | |
Dallas | 34 | 34 | 28 | 31 | 36 | 38 | 201 | |
NY Giants | 33 | 34 | 47 | 23 | 35 | 27 | 199 | |
Cleveland | 38 | 40 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 34 | 198 | |
Tampa Bay | 27 | 35 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 22 | 196 | |
Oakland | 25 | 38 | 22 | 38 | 25 | 31 | 179 | |
Atlanta | 29 | 32 | 22 | 19 | 34 | 39 | 175 |
But note that Dallas has made a climb toward respectability the last two years, with 36 and 38 sacks. A lot of that is due to defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (pictured), who will play this season under the franchise tag. If Gregory, despite nearly two years off, can show flashes of the pass rusher he was in college, sprinkle him in on passing downs across from Lawrence, and who knows? Maybe a climb into the top 10 is possible.
I don't think anyone should be overly interested in Dallas in fantasy drafts. But I'm willing to keep an open mind on potential contributions from Gregory. He's 25 years old and there's some talent there. If he can show something in the preseason, the Cowboys' patience could pay off.
--Andy Richardson