The Dallas Cowboys took a chance in the second round drafting Randy Gregory with the 60th pick overall, some think it will be worth the risk but others think this could blow up in the Cowboys face. Gregory was one of e more talented players in the draft although he is carrying a little baggage with previous off the field issue.
Gregory was once projected as a top-15 or maybe even top-10 pick before testing positive for marijuana at the NFL scouting combine in February and also admitted during a news conference that he has struggles with marijuana usage for years.
The Cowboys have had some success in the past with taken a change on players that are labeled as “at risk” most recently Dez Bryant who Dallas drafted in 2010. Gregory spoke with the Cowboys during his pre-draft visit and requested the Cowboys put a structure in place for him that will help keep him out of trouble off the field, similar to what Dallas did for Dez.
When asked about the risk that come along with Randy Gregory, Chief Operation Officer Stephen Jones mentions past success and failures with “at risk” players.
“A lot of times, we have successes with these players, A lot of times we don’t. Quite honestly, Dez Bryant had some things that scared us even more than Randy. But with the successes we have had — with Charles Haley, with Dez — the common thing is that when the guy gets between the lines, he’s competitive. Real competitive.”
Jones feels that you have to limit his many “at risk” players you can have in a locker room but Gregory is worth the risk.
“A player like Randy Gregory, he doesn’t become available down in the draft to us unless there’s unique circumstances. I think our team, and our coaching staff, and our organization, has grown to be able to accept it. We’ve got a culture with leaders everywhere, leaders who can absorb this and help these guys. But we understand the risk. We think it’s worth it.
This could be a hit or miss season for the Cowboys. The locker room is loaded with talent that could make the Cowboys Super Bowl bound but players like Randy Gregory, Joseph Randle and newly acquire defensive lineman Greg Hardy all have previous off the field issues, the team could be a train wreak waiting to happen.
HT: BleacherReport
