Randy Gregory suspended 4 games

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,464
He be for realz, dawg .
Yeah pretty sure that's racist.

And the only reason people don't like that tweet is because it supports Garrett. If it was about a coach you liked you would all be waiving your towels.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,746
Moore: With Gregory suspension, Hardy's likely exit, Cowboys must question DE depth; will their draft hand be forced?


By David Moore , Staff Writer Contact David Moore on Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN


A reminder of why Randy Gregory fell to the Cowboys in the second round of last year's draft was provided Friday afternoon when the NFL announced the defensive end has been suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

It also forces the club to take a long, hard look at who it can trust in the defensive line as officials head to Indianapolis for the scouting combine.



Gregory must sit out the first four games of the season, a penalty that will take a little more than $143,000 out of his pocket and could threaten another $370,000 he has in guaranteed money in 2016. The suspension means that Gregory has failed four tests -- three while a member of the Cowboys -- within the past year.

No one is saying publicly what resulted in this suspension. But Gregory's affinity for marijuana is well-known.

Gregory tested positive for marijuana at last February's combine and entered the league in the first stage of its substance abuse program. He tested positive for marijuana twice at Nebraska, in January and April of 2014, and was told he would be kicked off the team if he failed a third time.

The revelation led to Gregory, who was considered among the draft's top 10 players, to slide. In the days leading up to the draft, Cowboys officials determined they would not take Gregory in the first round but did not remove him from their board as some teams had reportedly done around the league.

Gregory told the Cowboys that he first began to smoke after high school, before he left for college, as a way to cope. Owner Jerry Jones was struck by the openness the young player displayed in acknowledging his struggles during their conversations.

"I'm not going to go too far into what he thinks," Jones said hours after drafting Gregory in the second round 10 months ago. "But there is no question in my mind he is very aware and wants to do better and wants help."


Gregory was outstanding in training camp and got off to a fast start in the regular-season opener against the New York Giants, but he suffered a high ankle sprain in the third quarter of that game that forced him to miss the next four weeks.

He wasn't nearly as effective when he returned. Gregory failed to record a sack in his rookie season but did record 16 quarterback pressures -- fourth on the team -- in limited duty. He had just 11 tackles.

This will mark the second consecutive year the Cowboys have opened the season with a defensive end under suspension. Greg Hardy missed the first four games of last season. And this leads to the second part of Gregory's suspension.

Indications are strong that the Cowboys won't resign Hardy. Gregory's potential would make it easier for the club to move on from Hardy. While this suspension is unlikely to alter the club's ultimate decision on Hardy, it does force them to take stock of just how strong they are at defensive end.

Veteran defensive end Jeremy Mincey is also a free agent. That leaves DeMarcus Lawrence as the only solid player at defensive end at the moment.

The bottom line: Upgrading the pass rush remains as much of a priority for the Cowboys this offseason as it was one year ago. That keeps a quality pass rusher in play at the No. 4 pick of the first round in April's draft.

The suspension doesn't prevent Gregory from taking part in the team's offseason program, organized team activities, minicamp and training camp. He can work out at the facility during the first four weeks of the regular season but can't practice with the team.

After he was drafted by the Cowboys, Gregory had this to say:

"It starts with me," he said. "I made a couple of bad decisions and at that point, everyone took it and spun it however which way then wanted.

"Right now, I'm just trying to rebuild my image, trying to focus on being the best professional I can, make as many plays on the field as I can, keep the coaches happy, keep Mr. Jones happy.

"The past is the past. I'm trying to look forward to the future."

At the moment, the future looks no different than the past.
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,482
Yeah pretty sure that's racist.

And the only reason people don't like that tweet is because it supports Garrett. If it was about a coach you liked you would all be waiving your towels.
That's not racist. The tweet itself was in Ebonics.
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
It appears the defense is starting out the same way it did last year. These players with marginal morality apparently cannot be relied on. I suppose some will take issue with depicting Gregory as marginal morality but pot is illegal no matter your personal stance on it and he continues to thumb his nose at the law. That behavior is just completely beyond me especially when it essentially devours his livelihood to continue the practice.
 

townsend

Banned
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
5,377
It appears the defense is starting out the same way it did last year. These players with marginal morality apparently cannot be relied on. I suppose some will take issue with depicting Gregory as marginal morality but pot is illegal no matter your personal stance on it and he continues to thumb his nose at the law. That behavior is just completely beyond me especially when it essentially devours his livelihood to continue the practice.
the law isn't morality, that is just a gross conceptual error.Most of the least moral things ever done were done legally. Gregory has issues, but not ethical/moral ones. He's a guy who can't be counted on the make the best decisions for his long term success. It's a willpower and personal control issue.

I heard that the players union was trying to get Reefer off of the banned substance list. Maybe if that happens soon Gregory will be salvageable.
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,482
Yeah, at this point it's a little silly to continue testing for weed.

And I agree the real issue is Gregory's decision making ability. It's not even addictive FFS. Makes it seem like smoking is more important to him than football. That's a real problem.
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
the law isn't morality, that is just a gross conceptual error.Most of the least moral things ever done were done legally. Gregory has issues, but not ethical/moral ones. He's a guy who can't be counted on the make the best decisions for his long term success. It's a willpower and personal control issue.

I heard that the players union was trying to get Reefer off of the banned substance list. Maybe if that happens soon Gregory will be salvageable.
This definition seems to agree with me.
http://www.google.com/search?q=defination+of+morality&oq=defination+of+morality&sourceid=silk&ie=UTF-8
 

townsend

Banned
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
5,377
ty
məˈralədē/
noun
principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.
synonyms: ethics, rights and wrongs, ethicality More
a particular system of values and principles of conduct, especially one held by a specified person or society.
plural noun: moralities
"a bourgeois morality"
the extent to which an action is right or wrong.
"behind all the arguments lies the issue of the morality of the possession of nuclear weapons"
nothing about lawfulness in that definition. Slavery, segregation, and the holocaust were all lawful, but ostensibly immoral. For an example that's more up your alley, in the majority of the 20th century it was illegal to be a Christian in the USSR. Would you call people that practiced their personal religion in defiance of the state immoral?

Morality is a belief system. Law is a set of behaviors enforced on the population by flawed (and frequently immoral) institutions.
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
nothing about lawfulness in that definition. Slavery, segregation, and the holocaust were all lawful, but ostensibly immoral. For an example that's more up your alley, in the majority of the 20th century it was illegal to be a Christian in the USSR. Would you call people that practiced their personal religion in defiance of the state immoral?

Morality is a belief system. Law is a set of behaviors enforced on the population by flawed (and frequently immoral) institutions.
Not taking this any further. Find another playground. But right and wrong can definitely be about the law as well.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,713
So, this means he is one failed test away from a one year suspension. Awesome.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,464
That's not racist. The tweet itself was in Ebonics.
It was mostly just abbreviations. I was just kidding though, I don't really think what he said was racist, nor do I care. The truth is Gregory doesn't really talk in ebonics at all. At least not from anything I have seen of him.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,464

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,482
It was mostly just abbreviations. I was just kidding though, I don't really think what he said was racist, nor do I care. The truth is Gregory doesn't really talk in ebonics at all. At least not from anything I have seen of him.
I'm only talking about that tweet. I studied Ebonics a little when I was an anthropology major.

Not to over analyze, but the tweet was definitely using Ebonics. Not the abbreviations or the slang, but things like not conjugating the verb "to be" is an element, as is not ending plural words with an 's' (like when he wrote "say" instead of "says").

Aaaaaaand I overanalyzed anyway. :lol
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,482
I'll just drop this off here...


Broncos shouldn’t entertain discussions of cutting DeMarcus Ware

Sam Robinson
Posted on February 18, 2016



With Peyton Manning not expected to be part of the Broncos in 2016, DeMarcus Ware would be far and away the team’s signature leadership voice.

But Ware’s status on the defending champions’ roster may not be a given. Although it would be an unpopular move, the Broncos could elect to shed Ware’s $7 million base salary — and more importantly, the linebacker’s $11.66 million salary cap number — in an attempt to keep the trio of Von Miller, Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson together.

From a talent standpoint, this isn’t quite on the level of the 1999 Chicago Bulls playing without Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. But from a reverence perspective, moving on from both Manning and Ware just after each played key roles on a championship team would wound the Broncos.

Depriving Ware, a four-time first-team All-Pro, of the chance to finish his contract — and perhaps his career — in Denver would be a big risk, considering what he meant to last season’s historically formidable pass rush. But with the above triumvirate set to command eight-figure-per-year salaries, it’s a move John Elway will consider.

Currently, the Broncos possess approximately $8.16M of salary cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. That number rises by $19M once Manning’s contract comes off the books by March 8, and a premature Ware release would add $10M to that figure. These are the highest- and third-highest-paid charges, respectively, on the Broncos’ 2016 cap sheet.

Considering more than $15M will be needed to assign Von Miller the franchise tag, salaries of well-known players will need to be adjusted and at least one highly paid player could be cut before the new league year begins March 9. Along with Ware, Ryan Clady ($10.1M can number in 2016), Louis Vasquez ($6.75M) and possibly even Aqib Talib ($9.97M) enter this conversation.

The only way Clady comes back is on a significantly reduced salary, and Vasquez experienced knee problems throughout last season. The All-Pro guard wasn’t the same player who dominated during his initial two Broncos seasons. The latter also has just one year left on his Broncos contract. Talib has four, but he will play his age-30 season in 2016 after which he can be easily released due to the guaranteed money on the mercurial corner’s six-year deal being paid out in years 1-3.

Ware’s case is much more complex.

It’s definitely arguable the 33-year-old future Hall of Famer was the Broncos’ second-most important performer in the playoffs. His still-lethal quickness terrorized left tackles and resulted in 3.5 sacks and numerous hits on Tom Brady and Cam Newton.

Without Ware, the Broncos could be observing the Patriots celebrating back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

After coming back from the back injury that sidelined him at multiple junctures, Ware looked like the peak version of himself that approached the single-season sack record in Dallas. He turns 34 in July but remains one of the game’s best and deserving of that salary when healthy.

Ware missed a career-high five games due to that lingering back malady, and as a result, Shaquil Barrett flashed often as Miller’s counterpart. He and Shane Ray would be capable of filling in should the Broncos cut Ware. Neither, however, is on Ware’s level.

07 FEB 2016: Denver Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) during Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
07 FEB 2016: Denver Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) during Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

That could be the difference between a great defense and one worthy of joining the 2015 Broncos in the all-time discussion.

The other key component in this process would be Jackson’s willingness to re-sign. Four more years of Jackson does take priority over one more Ware campaign. He’s been more consistent than the recently extended Derek Wolfe and thrived in three different positions — 3-4 end in 2015, 4-3 end in ’14 and 4-3 tackle in ’13 — to earn his status as one of the most sought-after free agents.

Jackson’s said he’d like to stay in Denver, but even publicly acknowledges he’d like to see what the market will pay. It would take a massive offer — definitely more than the four-year, $36.7M deal Wolfe got — to keep Jackson off the market. And it would be ill-advised for the fifth-year defensive end to sign before he sees what he could get from another team.

Despite Elway’s incredible work as a first-time GM, the Broncos cutting Ware doesn’t magically equate to Jackson staying. Losing both in 2016 would be a crushing blow to Denver’s league-best pass rush.

Both play on the right side and offered superb support to left-side rushers Miller and Wolfe. A 2016 Broncos front that includes Miller, Ware, Wolfe and a combination of Antonio Smith, Vance Walker and a likely draft choice at defensive end could still comprise the game’s best pass pursuit, especially when factoring in larger roles for Barrett and Ray.

Ware could also be deemed more expendable than Clady or Vasquez due to the offensive line’s lack of depth. But he’s superior than both despite entering his mid-30s, and the Broncos found out the difference between having a great pass rush and unleashing Miller and Ware together.

Denver tried to get by on the cheap in 2013 after it lost Elvis Dumervil in bizarre fashion, and Shaun Phillips was reliable at right end. Even though Phillips registered more sacks ’13 (10) than Ware did last year (7.5), no one would compare the two players. Ware during these playoffs was better than Dumervil in his stint opposite Miller.

Ware’s influence on Miller also needs to be considered. Miller’s career crisis was the reason Phillips’ 10 sacks led the Broncos three years ago. Between a six-game suspension for substance abuse and an attempted cover-up, a bizarre weight-gain plan that sapped some of his elite quickness and the torn ACL that shelved him for those playoffs, Miller careened off course in 2013.

Once Ware arrived, Miller suddenly stabilized. Seeing how a proven veteran approached the game and conducted himself enabled Miller to turn his career around and put him in a position to become possibly the highest-paid defender. Breaking them up could affect Miller’s psyche and make the ensuing negotiations contentious.

Without knowing whether Jackson will stay, it wouldn’t be smart to cut such an important player. Shedding Vasquez’s contract and reducing Clady’s would be the smarter alternative to free up funds.

Super Bowl champions lose players of Jackson’s caliber often. Denver won’t be able to match what he could make on the open market.

If the Broncos truly want to stay at their current defensive level, Ware needs to be involved.
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
Glad he got a ring because he is bound to be on thin ice by now. Might make a good situational player though.
 
Top Bottom