The Cowboys’ 2020 season has been largely defined thus far by the players the team has lost over the course of five games. Heading into Week 6, coach Mike McCarthy found himself in the unusual position of talking about getting some players back. And owner Jerry Jones compared one of them to a Hall of Fame legend.
At the top of the list, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch looks to be on track to make his return this week versus Arizona. Defensive end Randy Gregory could be back as soon as Week 7 against Washington after being reinstated by the league. The third-year linebacker suffered a broken collarbone in the first quarter of the team’s season opener; Gregory has not played since January 2019 in the Cowboys’ playoff loss to the Rams.
McCarthy said that both players are trending in the right direction, but emphasized that the team’s Friday and Saturday sessions will be key factors in getting them back on the field.
“I thought Leighton and Randy had very good practices,” the coach told reporters of the Thursday workout. “Leighton looked like he didn’t miss a beat in there. Today will be a big practice for him. It’ll be the first time in pads, going through the full Thursday-type practice because we’re on an in-season Thursday schedule; I know it’s Friday. So this will be a big day for him. It was great to get Randy in the team reps and in the pass rush segments. We have a pass-under-pressure drill that he definitely showed up in. He looked good. They both looked good. I’m anxious to see them both practice today, and really, how they come in tomorrow will be probably the most important part of their week of physical preparation.”
Vander Esch is ahead of schedule in terms of recovering from his collarbone issue, but the neck injury that caused him to miss seven games last season and required surgery in January is still fresh.
Jones says that despite the undeniable spark the Boise State product would bring to the struggling Cowboys defense, the team won’t rush him back before he’s ready.
“He will not go back out there if he is vulnerable in any way- inordinately vulnerable- as to, certainly, the injury he has dealt with,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Friday. “I’ll assure you of that. You can bet if he hits the field, he has a complete go and a solid go to go out. We would not risk additional injury because of that injury, whether it’s to where he was injured or how he’s playing because he was injured. All of that, you can feel real good. If you see him on the field, he should be out there.”
McCarthy knows that Gregory’s road back will be just a little longer. But the club’s 2015 second-round draft pick has taken an important step by returning to practice this week.
“It’s a work in progress,” the coach told reporters during his Friday press conference. “I though Randy did a great job; he was full-speed yesterday. Today is really the day that I think he’s really looking forward to. He’ll be part of the padded work for the first time. We’ll evaluate everything he does. At the end of the day, until you clearly make that decision, the training staff and the medical staff have to feel good about him. Based on what he did yesterday, he’s definitely heading in the right direction.”
The former Nebraska standout has appeared in just 30 games (including postseason) as a Cowboy, but has proven to be a game-wrecker when he’s active.
Jones raved about Gregory in his latest radio interview, but said that what the 27-year-old brings to the Dallas pass rush is far more than just a freakish physical skill set.
“He’s an impact player. Always has been,” Jones shared. “And when he’s been on the field for us, he’s impactful, to overuse the word. With that in mind, he’s obviously smart, has high football IQ- he made the highest SAT test of anybody we’ve ever drafted. Anybody. He really has good intellect. Charles Haley also had one of the highest intellects we’ve ever had, and you see how he used that to be a good pass rusher. But Gregory has unique physical abilities and has unique ways to- we call it “Gumby.” He’s not only an excellent athlete, but he’s got Gumby, which means he can bend and torque and get in good positions to impact the discourage the passer, much less sack him. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the field.”
Invoking a fictional claymation character and a five-time Super Bowl champion Hall of Famer all in one answer demonstrates just how highly Jones and the Cowboys organization regard Gregory.
Bringing a player deserving of that praise to the current iteration of the Cowboys defense- not to mention adding the Wolf Hunter back into the lineup- may just be enough to salvage a season on the verge of slipping away.
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