Cowboys, DE Randy Gregory agree to five-year, $70M deal

The Cowboys will indeed be able to keep their three-headed pass-rushing monster from last season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys are set to re-sign Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70M deal (Twitter link). He adds that $28M of the total is guaranteed.

The Cowboys had already made the expected move of placing the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz. Gregory was named as the only other viable candidate for the one-year pact, but the team’s preference was always a long-term deal. Despite being 29, this offseason would have been his first foray into free agency, but instead he will now remain with the only team he’s played for in the NFL.

A second-round pick in 2015, suspensions and injuries have been a constant in his tenure with the Cowboys. However, the team has remained committed to the talented edge rusher. He rewarded the team for their patience, recording six sacks and three forced fumbles in 2021. Alongside fellow defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons, the Nebraska product was an integral part of the Cowboys’ pass rush in particular, and their takeaway-prone defense in general.

Through a number of cost-cutting moves — including, most notably, trading away Amari Cooper — the Cowboys have been able to make enough room financially to keep the bulk of last season’s division-winning team intact. While this deal’s $14M per-year average value will eat up most of the remaining space for 2022, the team’s defense will look very similar to the one which ranked seventh in the league in scoring in 2021.