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Randy Gregory can be best served as understudy
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys Greg Hardy has yet to decide whether to accept the reduced four-game suspension or fight on through the court system to attempt to reduce it to just two games.
Hardy's decision will impact the salary cap because if he wins a further reduction and misses just two games, then that would earn him an extra $1.2 million in per-game roster bonuses, plus help his chances of earning incentives. But it will also impact Randy Gregory.
When the Cowboys drafted Gregory in the second round in April, Hardy was looking at a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy stemming from an incident involving a former girlfriend. The Cowboys needed a much greater impact from Gregory if Hardy missed 10 of the 16 regular-season games.
Now that his absence is four, Gregory won't be required to play -- and produce - as much.
Taking the pressure off a rookie pass-rusher is a good thing. Rare is the rookie that comes in and puts up strong sack numbers. Von Miller (11.5), Brian Orakpo (11) and Clay Matthews (10) excelled as rookies, but last year only three rookies had more than six sacks last season, led by St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had nine.
With Hardy, as well as Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence, who will be looking for the first regular-season sack of his career this season, Gregory can work his way into the mix as a luxury of sorts if not a necessity.
That's not the way Gregory is looking at it.
Since being picked, the Cowboys have had him studying similar linear players, like Simeon Rice and Jason Taylor. He already studied players like Osi Umenyiora and Aldon Smith.
But Rod Marinelli's connection to Rice from their days together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes for a natural comparison.
"I knew about (Rice) before but just being around coach Marinelli so much and him showing clips of him, he does remind me of myself," Gregory said. "I try to model my game after him, especially with long arms. I try to watch a lot of film of him with his long-arm (move) because his long arm is as good as anybody."
Rice, 6-5, 268 pounds, was productive in his first five years with the Arizona Cardinals, averaging 10.5 sacks per season but he struggled with consistency. After joining Marinelli in Tampa Bay, he put up five straight double-digit sack seasons, averaging 13.5 per year. It helped that he had Warren Sapp on the interior, but along with Taylor he was one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL.
Marinelli hasn't wanted to make things too complicated for Gregory.
"Really, it's just getting off the ball," Gregory said. "He really wants me to get off the ball. That's one of the things they want as D linemen. They want you off the ball and turning the corner to get on that tackle as fast as possible, working our hands. Really just get us one good move, one counter move and working levels coming back underneath."
Gregory had some positive moments in the organized team activities and minicamp against Tyron Smith. Going up against Smith in training camp will be even better practice.
So too will be studying more of Rice's work.
"If you get off the ball, the tackle has got to turn his hips," Gregory said "and then you can give the long arm and you can go back inside."
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys Greg Hardy has yet to decide whether to accept the reduced four-game suspension or fight on through the court system to attempt to reduce it to just two games.
Hardy's decision will impact the salary cap because if he wins a further reduction and misses just two games, then that would earn him an extra $1.2 million in per-game roster bonuses, plus help his chances of earning incentives. But it will also impact Randy Gregory.
When the Cowboys drafted Gregory in the second round in April, Hardy was looking at a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy stemming from an incident involving a former girlfriend. The Cowboys needed a much greater impact from Gregory if Hardy missed 10 of the 16 regular-season games.
Now that his absence is four, Gregory won't be required to play -- and produce - as much.
Taking the pressure off a rookie pass-rusher is a good thing. Rare is the rookie that comes in and puts up strong sack numbers. Von Miller (11.5), Brian Orakpo (11) and Clay Matthews (10) excelled as rookies, but last year only three rookies had more than six sacks last season, led by St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had nine.
With Hardy, as well as Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence, who will be looking for the first regular-season sack of his career this season, Gregory can work his way into the mix as a luxury of sorts if not a necessity.
That's not the way Gregory is looking at it.
Since being picked, the Cowboys have had him studying similar linear players, like Simeon Rice and Jason Taylor. He already studied players like Osi Umenyiora and Aldon Smith.
But Rod Marinelli's connection to Rice from their days together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes for a natural comparison.
"I knew about (Rice) before but just being around coach Marinelli so much and him showing clips of him, he does remind me of myself," Gregory said. "I try to model my game after him, especially with long arms. I try to watch a lot of film of him with his long-arm (move) because his long arm is as good as anybody."
Rice, 6-5, 268 pounds, was productive in his first five years with the Arizona Cardinals, averaging 10.5 sacks per season but he struggled with consistency. After joining Marinelli in Tampa Bay, he put up five straight double-digit sack seasons, averaging 13.5 per year. It helped that he had Warren Sapp on the interior, but along with Taylor he was one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL.
Marinelli hasn't wanted to make things too complicated for Gregory.
"Really, it's just getting off the ball," Gregory said. "He really wants me to get off the ball. That's one of the things they want as D linemen. They want you off the ball and turning the corner to get on that tackle as fast as possible, working our hands. Really just get us one good move, one counter move and working levels coming back underneath."
Gregory had some positive moments in the organized team activities and minicamp against Tyron Smith. Going up against Smith in training camp will be even better practice.
So too will be studying more of Rice's work.
"If you get off the ball, the tackle has got to turn his hips," Gregory said "and then you can give the long arm and you can go back inside."