News: ESPN: Randy Gregory's suspension won't stop Jerry Jones' pursuit of risky...

[NewsBot]

Randy Gregory's suspension won't stop Jerry Jones' pursuit of risky players
10:05 PM ET

Jean-Jacques TaylorESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Randy Gregory's proclivity for smoking cigarettes filled with marijuana instead of tobacco has jeopardized his career less than a year after the Dallas Cowboys selected him with the 60th pick in the NFL draft.

He has failed at least four drug tests in the past 12 months, which is why he has been suspended for the first four games of 2016. One more failed drug test, and Gregory will face a one-year suspension.

As soon as that news hit Friday afternoon, the natural reaction for critics of the Cowboys is to say the team should’ve never taken Gregory given his well-known history of smoking marijuana at Nebraska.

The Cowboys' gamble on pass-rusher Randy Gregory, who had issues with marijuana in college, appears to have failed. AP Photo/Tony Avelar

After all, he’d flunked a drug test at the scouting combine last February, an indication he was probably more than a recreational user of the drug.

Poppycock.

There’s zero wrong with taking a talented player such as Gregory, a consensus top-10 talent, in the second round as long as the club understands the depth of his issue and the risk it’s taking.


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[jobberone]

Hmmm. This all depends on Gregory turning things around. So it's a big fat TBD for me.

 

[Alexander]

I would hope it has an effect.

It is very difficult to plan a season, install a system and then have it blown up by some stupid decision by a key player. Along the same lines it is strange to plan to "hold on" until player X returns from suspension.

A couple here and there that are worth the risk is fine. But when you have three or four of them running around, the risk taking thing becomes less desirable.

 

[cowboyblue22]

one team can only have so many head cases running around before the whole team is infected.

 

[DBOY3141]

I think for at least 2016, Gregory and Hardy will greatly influence what they do in the draft and FA. When selecting Gregory, most assumed by JG expressions that he was not on board with the pick. Adding Hardy's issues this year, some will assume he wasn't behind that move also.

Now he has big time ammo with JJ to stay away from folks with flags. Whether right or wrong can be debated for days, but in JG's mind, he will use these two as big time examples of who not to go after.

I see nothing but Choir boys being added to this team in 2016.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think for at least 2016, Gregory and Hardy will greatly influence what they do in the draft and FA. When selecting Gregory, most assumed by JG expressions that he was not on board with the pick. Adding Hardy's issues this year, some will assume he wasn't behind that move also.

Now he has big time ammo with JJ to stay away from folks with flags. Whether right or wrong can be debated for days, but in JG's mind, he will use these two as big time examples of who not to go after.

I see nothing but Choir boys being added to this team in 2016.

choir boys or football players? I would think Jason Witten is a guy who keeps out of trouble, is a family man and I doubt there is anyone tougher than he is on the football field. The man goes all out every year missing 1 game in all that time. Meanwhile we have idiots who miss time because of their own selfish acts.

 

[Junglist]

Why should he? His way has been working so well for the last 20 years. After all, he was executive of the year in 2014. Go Cowboys.

 

[Stash]

I hope the goal of the article wasn't to try to justify the risk taking, because, if it was, it failed spectacularly.

 

[CATCH17]

one team can only have so many head cases running around before the whole team is infected.

I don't know why people think this.

A few bad apples will do nothing but annoy teammates but it's not going to effect them any other way.


Once you put the pads on and somebody is trying to take your head off then all of this other bad apple drama is just a bunch of BS.

Where it hurts is dependability. That's where it hurts. We're depending on Randy Gregory and he is gone for the first month of the season.

 

[Daillest88]

I think for at least 2016, Gregory and Hardy will greatly influence what they do in the draft and FA. When selecting Gregory, most assumed by JG expressions that he was not on board with the pick. Adding Hardy's issues this year, some will assume he wasn't behind that move also.

Now he has big time ammo with JJ to stay away from folks with flags. Whether right or wrong can be debated for days, but in JG's mind, he will use these two as big time examples of who not to go after.

I see nothing but Choir boys being added to this team in 2016.

I hope so! chemistry goes along way in the NFL

 

[Seven]

Hmmm. This all depends on Gregory turning things around. So it's a big fat TBD for me.

It is for me too.

Expect him to miss a year unless they keep him in a box in jerry's garage.

One more failed drug test..........?

Yeah. He gone.

 

[tyke1doe]

It's like trusting a person who is unreliable. You get burned more than you don't.

 

[Seven]

I hope the goal of the article wasn't to try to justify the risk taking, because, if it was, it failed spectacularly.

It was and it did..................

 

[jwooten15]

For as well as the offensive line turned out when we really concentrated on improving it, we sure haven't had that same fortune with the DLine.

Between Hardy being a no-show, Gregory getting hurt and now suspended, underperformers like Mincy and Crawford, we always seem to be trying to find a consistent pass rush.

 

[bsheeern]

I don't know why people think this.

A few bad apples will do nothing but annoy teammates but it's not going to effect them any other way.


Once you put the pads on and somebody is trying to take your head off then all of this other bad apple drama is just a bunch of BS.

Where it hurts is dependability. That's where it hurts. We're depending on Randy Gregory and he is gone for the first month of the season.

I Agree. Denver's roster is full of players with issues.

Now the coach does have to be able to handle those players or then it does come into play.
Look no further than here:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...this-chip-kelly-philadelphia-eagles/80778794/

 

[Eddie]

Yep .. all this risk taking has gotten us ... what? 0 Super Bowls in 20 years? 2 playoff wins in 17 years ???

What a maverick risk taker.

 

[CCBoy]

I hope the goal of the article wasn't to try to justify the risk taking, because, if it was, it failed spectacularly.

Stash, I kind of appreciate the aspect in life where an owner with deep pockets, actually supports social appearances and puts his wallet where his mouth endorses...the element in human nature that actually overcomes great challenges. But then wins also. In sports, even where there are no red herrings, players fail on conduct. Indicators or not, that is just part of the terrain and all teams have to deal with it...not just Jerry and the supposed '20 year dessert.'

 

[CCBoy]

For as well as the offensive line turned out when we really concentrated on improving it, we sure haven't had that same fortune with the DLine.

Between Hardy being a no-show, Gregory getting hurt and now suspended, underperformers like Mincy and Crawford, we always seem to be trying to find a consistent pass rush.

Time to pull a Parcells, and draft four defensive linemen in this upcoming draft.

 

[Stash]

Stash, I kind of appreciate the aspect in life where an owner with deep pockets, actually supports social appearances and puts his wallet where his mouth endorses...the element in human nature that actually overcomes great challenges. But then wins also. In sports, even where there are no red herrings, players fail on conduct. Indicators or not, that is just part of the terrain and all teams have to deal with it...not just Jerry and the supposed '20 year dessert.'

I'm as big a fan as low risk / high reward as anyone. But make no mistake, this isn't about an act of nobility. It's about guys who can play football well being available because they're screw-ups.

If it works? Great. You got a quality pass rusher at a discount.

If it doesn't? 31 other teams get to say "Told ya so!"

Insult to injury if the reports of letting Hardy walk are true. You're either forcing yourself to overpay someone else in free agency, or worse, wasting a #4 overall pick to fill the void created.

 

[DCBoysfan]

Wow..I didn't realize how close he is to a 1 year suspension.