Dallas Cowboys: Randy Gregory reinstated by the NFL

After being suspended for more than a year, the NFL has now reinstated former Dallas Cowboys second-round selection, pass rusher Randy Gregory.

20 total tackles and a sack in 14 games. That’s the amount of production Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory has recorded since being a second-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Injuries and drug-related suspensions have limited Gregory’s NFL career, to no one’s surprise.

Touted as a possible top ten selection in the draft, Gregory fell to the Cowboys 60th overall after he failed a drug test during the NFL Scouting Combine that year. Randy’s rookie season was derailed by a high-ankle sprain he suffered in his first regular-season outing.

Gregory’s sophomore season in Dallas was limited to just two game appearances due to suspensions following multiple violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Despite receiving a total 14-game suspension in 2016, the talented pass rusher failed yet another drug test. This resulted in an indefinite suspension that had Gregory out of the league entirely all of last year.

Although very little information surfaced about Gregory’s time away from the league, his recent appeal for reinstatement included six months of passed drug tests as well as a rumored 2,000-page presentation that reportedly included testimonies as well as information about daily drug testing, counseling, and an intensive two-month inpatient treatment program.

On Tuesday it was announced the NFL has conditionally reinstated Gregory. He’ll be allowed to attend training camp later this month. And as long as the 25-year old continues to meet certain criteria, he should be allowed to participate in games this upcoming season.

Despite Gregory has been reinstated by the league, his status with the Cowboys is still unsure. Having not played organized football in more than a year, rust will certainly be a factor. Although Gregory has reportedly been working out with Greg Townsend, a former Super Bowl winner and two-time Pro Bowl defensive end for the Oakland Raiders.

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The Dallas Cowboys currently have a logjam at defensive end. DeMarcus Lawrence, Taco Charlton, Kony Ealy, Tyrone Crawford, Charles Tapper and rookie Dorance Armstrong will all be in play for serious minutes for Dallas at the position. But Gregory’s massive talent will likely buy him a place on the active roster regardless.