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When David Irving retired via a smoking-hot Instagram post a week ago, it should have been the precursor for more conversation about marijuana use, self medication and the NFL’s stance on it all. Irving was suspending indefinitely by the league for failing multiple tests, zooming right past the 10-game ban and straight to out of the league for at least a year.
He took to the Gram to call the NFL to task for their stance on the subject, and a week later his crusade comes via a bit of a tell-all about the Dallas Cowboys’ views on the subject matter. Irving says Garrett was tired of the defensive end’s situation, in an exclusive with USA Today‘s Jori Epstein.
Irving paints a more sympathetic figure in owner and general manager Jerry Jones, who’s role with the team doesn’t task him with daily interactions with the player anywhere near the extent of what Garrett has.
Epstein indicates the organization has not yet responded to a request for a reaction to Irving’s claims.
Irving of course isn’t the only Cowboy player of note here. Randy Gregory is once again banned after missing almost all of 2016 and all of 2017 due to his marijuana tests. The team, however, has taken a radically different stance of support for Gregory in his ordeals, indicating that there’s possibly something else causing the difference reactions. Gregory was a second-round pick in 2015 while Irving was an undrafted free agent plucked off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.
Is the gap in draft capital (and financial) invested in the two players the reason there is a discrepancy between the teams reactions, or is the individual the only story there? The latter seems to be a bit more likely. As Gregory has endured multiple suspensions, he has yet to be involved in anything public outside of the failed tests. Irving on the other hand has had multiple run-ins with the law dealing with domestic voilence allegations (none charged) and a messy custody battle over his daughter with her mother and his accuser, )))Angela Sanchez(((. There have been incidents since Irving was awarded sole custody where police have been called and the child’s mother has been very vocal about wanting to bring attention to her version of the story.
While Gregory has been involved whenever available to work with the team, Irving has not, missing meetings and offseason practices routinely leading up to the 2018 season.
Then, during the season, Irving injured his ankle just two games after returning from his four-game suspension to begin the season. He reportedly withdrew from the team, didn’t attend practices and didn’t check in for rehabilitation sessions.
When asked about Gregory during February’s scouting combine, Garrett was very supportive in his language. But when asked about Irving said the following:
At the time, the Cowboys knew of the pending suspensions for both players, although neither had gone public.
The Cowboys have already given Irving’s number away to newly signed defensive tackle Christian Covington.
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Cowboys 7-round Mock Draft: March 15, 2019
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He took to the Gram to call the NFL to task for their stance on the subject, and a week later his crusade comes via a bit of a tell-all about the Dallas Cowboys’ views on the subject matter. Irving says Garrett was tired of the defensive end’s situation, in an exclusive with USA Today‘s Jori Epstein.
“He told me I should just quit, smoke all the weed I want, the team didn’t need me,” Irving told USA TODAY Sports in a wide-ranging phone interview Thursday. “I’m a distraction to the team.
“He views marijuana as a drug, whereas I view it as a medicine. It’s not a good situation.”
Irving paints a more sympathetic figure in owner and general manager Jerry Jones, who’s role with the team doesn’t task him with daily interactions with the player anywhere near the extent of what Garrett has.
“Basically, Jerry, he is supportive of me,” Irving said, adding Jones didn’t agree with all parts of the league substance-abuse policies. “He understands my situation and what I was dealing with. Our hands were pretty much tied. His hands were tied.”
Epstein indicates the organization has not yet responded to a request for a reaction to Irving’s claims.
Irving of course isn’t the only Cowboy player of note here. Randy Gregory is once again banned after missing almost all of 2016 and all of 2017 due to his marijuana tests. The team, however, has taken a radically different stance of support for Gregory in his ordeals, indicating that there’s possibly something else causing the difference reactions. Gregory was a second-round pick in 2015 while Irving was an undrafted free agent plucked off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.
Is the gap in draft capital (and financial) invested in the two players the reason there is a discrepancy between the teams reactions, or is the individual the only story there? The latter seems to be a bit more likely. As Gregory has endured multiple suspensions, he has yet to be involved in anything public outside of the failed tests. Irving on the other hand has had multiple run-ins with the law dealing with domestic voilence allegations (none charged) and a messy custody battle over his daughter with her mother and his accuser, )))Angela Sanchez(((. There have been incidents since Irving was awarded sole custody where police have been called and the child’s mother has been very vocal about wanting to bring attention to her version of the story.
While Gregory has been involved whenever available to work with the team, Irving has not, missing meetings and offseason practices routinely leading up to the 2018 season.
Then, during the season, Irving injured his ankle just two games after returning from his four-game suspension to begin the season. He reportedly withdrew from the team, didn’t attend practices and didn’t check in for rehabilitation sessions.
When asked about Gregory during February’s scouting combine, Garrett was very supportive in his language. But when asked about Irving said the following:
“Obviously, he’s been dealing with some different things over the course of the last year and really was not a part of our team this past year,” Garrett said. “He’s a free agent as we know it and will address specific issues with specific guys as we go.”
At the time, the Cowboys knew of the pending suspensions for both players, although neither had gone public.
The Cowboys have already given Irving’s number away to newly signed defensive tackle Christian Covington.
Gallery
Cowboys 7-round Mock Draft: March 15, 2019
Continue reading...