Randy Gregory’s new five-year deal with the Cowboys lasted about two hours.
In a stunning plot twist to the 29-year-old edge rusher’s comeback story, Gregory has reportedly had a change of heart after initially agreeing to sign a new contract with the Cowboys. After the news had already been leaked and even posted on the Cowboys’ official Twitter account, Gregory will apparently now take the exact same deal to play for the Denver Broncos.
Gregory and his representatives were said to have been in talks with the Broncos as late as Monday when terms were instead struck for him to remain in Dallas. He’ll still earn a reported $70 million over five years, with $28 million guaranteed, but now he’ll apparently do it in the Mile High City.
Denver reporter Vic Lombardi first broke the reversal, which was clearly about more than money to Gregory. It’s not known exactly what led the Nebraska product to do an about-face on the Cowboys deal.
Sources;
Randy Gregory signing with the @Broncos!!
Not the @dallascowboys pic.twitter.com/P6k96RMUfp
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) March 15, 2022
Of course, nothing is official until an offer is actually signed by the player, and that cannot happen until the start of the new league year Wednesday afternoon. But all indications are that the former second-round draft pick simply changed his mind.
“The deal with the Cowboys fell apart,” NFL insider Mike Garofalo said on-air Tuesday.
It’s brutal blow for the Cowboys. The team will now look to second-year man Chauncey Golston and veteran Dorance Armstrong, if they can re-sign him before he departs via free agency. They may also address the position through the draft or with another free agent signing.
But all those are contingency plans for the Cowboys, who had desperately wanted to retain Gregory and gave a redesigned contract to fellow defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence on Monday that freed up more money to ostensibly do so.
Such agreements are usually pretty well set by the time national outlets- and even the teams and agents involved- report them. But this latest wrinkle, apparently the end of Gregory’s tenure with the Cowboys- barring an eleventh-hour Hail Mary by the Dallas front office and another flip-flop from the player- is a stark reminder of why the two-day free agent negotiating window is all just talk until the pen actually hits the paper.
[listicle id=694899]
[listicle id=694758]
[lawrence-newsletter]