Dallas Cowboys pass rush in jeopardy without Randy Gregory

It appears the Dallas Cowboys have lost defensive end Randy Gregory for the foreseeable future. How will it hurt their pass rush in 2019?

Last season, the Dallas Cowboys were considered to possess an elite defense. This was a group that shut down a red hot New Orleans Saints squad to the tune of 13-10 in Week 13, putting the entire league on notice.

One of the reasons the Cowboys’ defense was able to play so well last season was due to the return of former second-rounder Randy Gregory. An uber-talented defensive end whose drug abuse issues nearly ended his young career, Gregory was able to battle his way back onto the field after serving several suspensions. The 26-year old was able to play in 14 games last season, recording 6.0 sacks.

The combination of Gregory and fellow defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was a lethal one-two punch of pass rushers for Dallas last season. And this dynamic duo was expected to do even more damage in 2019.

Unfortunately, it was announced on Tuesday that the NFL has now suspended Gregory indefinitely for once again violating the league’s substance abuse policy. This is a devastating blow for the Cowboys as this likely ends Gregory’s professional football career. And it leaves Dallas without one of their most talented pass rushers.

Without Gregory, the Cowboys could be in the market for a pass rusher via free agency or the draft. But it seems more likely they’ll turn to former 2017 first round selection defensive end Taco Charlton to finally live up to his lofty draft status. Charlton recorded a single sack last season.

Another name to watch is 2018 fourth-round selection Dorance Armstrong. The Cowboys were very high on the defensive end out of Kansas during the draft. Armstrong has a breakout season his sophomore year, posting 20.0 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks for the Jayhawks.