The Cowboys didn’t get any pass rushing help at defensive end during free agency or the draft, which means that they’re going to need someone currently on the roster to step up and provide their defense with an attacking presence off the edge.
In a perfect world, that would be 2015 second-round pick Randy Gregory but it’s anything but a perfect world on that front. Gregory didn’t have a sack as a rookie and he’ll miss the first four games of this season while serving a suspension for a violation of the substance abuse policy.
Owner Jerry Jones acknowledged Wednesday that there is “no assurance” that Gregory will be back to help the team this season, but said that “all thumbs are up” in terms of how Gregory is doing this offseason.
“He’s got gifts. He understands he has gifts, God’s gifts,” Jones said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He’s got great human skills, personality. He is nothing short of brilliant. Certainly he has his demons. A lack of understanding of where he is is not one of them. We pray for him. We want him to him to have the kind of career his gifts would allow him to have which is an exceptional, exceptional football player. He is probably the top rusher in the last two drafts. We need him. We want to get him back.”
All of that may be true, but the lack of assurances about Gregory’s presence makes it hard for the Cowboys to count on anything from him. With defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence also suspended for four games, assurances at defensive end are hard to find for the Cowboys this season.
