Dallas Cowboys: Who could step up in DeMarcus Lawrence’s absence?
Randy Gregory
Another name that needed reinstatement, but is still awaiting a decision, is Randy Gregory. He was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Repeated offenses caused him to miss 52 games, and play in only 28 games. While he on the field, however, he is a talented pass rusher.
His best season with the Cowboys was his most recent one, which was back in 2018. This saw him play in 14 games sacking the opposing quarterback 6.0 times and making 25 tackles.
It’s important to note that Gregory was a starter for Dallas only once in the 28 games played. He also had a high of 43 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018.
The Dallas Cowboys sure wish they had him with the team last season. After reports of the team giving up on him being reinstated, Cowboys COO, Stephen Jones, reached out to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram saying he still has hope.
When I wrote earlier that the Cowboys had all but given up on Randy Gregory's reinstatement, I did not get that information from Jerry or Stephen Jones. Got it from other sources. Stephen has reached out and said the Cowboys still have hope. Nothing is guaranteed. Time will tell
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) July 14, 2020
He can still be looked at as a prospect since we never truly saw what he was able to do. He produced quite well for playing only 43 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018. If Gregory is reinstated and given a higher percentage of snaps, his impact will be shown.
While Aldon Smith likely has a higher ceiling, I would think Gregory has a higher floor. I can see Gregory getting a solid 5.0 sacks and 30 tackles. That’s if his snaps remain around the 43 percent mark.
If Gregory gets a bigger role in the defense with let’s say 70 percent of the defensive snaps, he can sack the opposing quarterback 8.0+ times and make 40 tackles. While that isn’t enough to replace all of Lawrence, a combination of him and Smith may be able to.