Can Randy Gregory Play A Full Season Again?

Depth is essential at any place within the NFL. The Bucs now have it in droves at exterior linebacker after bringing Randy Gregory on board.

Tampa Bay has YaYa Diaby, Randy Gregory, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson because the 4 skilled exterior linebackers atop the depth chart. Markees Watts, an undrafted free agent final yr, had flashes final yr in a restricted function and will break into that group this season. Jose Ramirez, a sixth-round decide in 2023, spent final season on the follow squad and can be ready within the wings.

However do the Bucs have too many gamers on the place?

Actually not.

If any of these prime 4 edge rushers go down, the Bucs will probably be compelled to depend on a participant with little or no expertise in Watts – or none in Ramirez’s case. What may be for the higher although is that if a participant such because the 31-year previous Randy Gregory solely performs a restricted quantity of snaps. Gregory actually has expertise, however he’s missed plenty of video games both resulting from accidents or suspensions earlier in his profession.

Randy Gregory Has Struggled To Swimsuit Up For An Total Season

Exterior of his missed time resulting from some suspensions, it’s been a large number of accidents which have slowed Randy Gregory down going all the way in which again to his school enjoying days. At Arizona Western School, Gregory broke his fibula, which compelled him to overlook the entire 2012 season. As a rookie with the Cowboys in 2015, he acquired injured within the first sport of the season with a excessive ankle sprain and instantly missed the following 4. The following season, Gregory was suspended for 14 video games and wasn’t eligible to play till December and solely participated in two video games.

Bucs OLB Randy Gregory – Picture by: USA At present

The 2017 season was fully derailed by one other suspension and he didn’t play the entire yr. That was the case once more in 2019, adopted by getting suspended for the primary six video games in 2020.

With all of his suspensions behind him in 2021, the harm bug sadly returned as he was placed on injured reserve with a calf harm and missed 5 video games. A knee harm triggered Randy Gregory to overlook time and the Broncos didn’t activate him for some time. He was additionally suspended for a sport for combating towards an opponent. In all, he performed in solely six video games that yr.

It took till the 2023 season for Randy Gregory to lastly play a full 17-game season between the Broncos after which getting traded to the 49ers. Being accessible week in and week out was a particular accomplishment for him.

“As athletes, we at all times go in with sure objectives we need to obtain, whether or not that be our profession or the upcoming season,” Randy Gregory mentioned on Thursday. “My largest factor was having the ability to play a full season. Such as you mentioned, I haven’t performed a full season within the league. I’ve solely performed one full season in school.

“Whether or not or not it’s suspensions or accidents, one thing performed an impact. To have the ability to play a full yr and never solely that, however clearly attending to the Tremendous Bowl – it was probably the most video games I’ve performed in my complete whole soccer profession ever since I might keep in mind. That was my largest objective. I felt like if I might end the yr wholesome and go into the following yr wholesome, clearly that will be good for my future. I hope I can do the identical and end out my profession in a wholesome method and in a successful method.”

Randy Gregory Seems to be To Discover Consolation In A New Place

Even along with his objective achieved, it wasn’t the simplest season for Randy Gregory. Whereas he did go to a significantly better workforce in a commerce to the 49ers, finally enjoying on this yr’s Tremendous Bowl, and shifting to a brand new metropolis in the course of the season had a huge impact on him.

Bucs OLB Randy Gregory – Picture by: USA At present

“It’s positively not simple for me – I’m huge on comfortability,” Gregory mentioned. “To need to make that change in the midst of the yr and primarily not end my finish of the take care of Denver was robust. Clearly, going to a brand new spot was robust, too. My largest factor was having the ability to go there and type of combine myself in a non-threatening method and [be] as natural as I could make it. Like I mentioned earlier, make performs the place I can and assist out after I’m not on the market.

“It was robust, however it was enjoyable on the similar time. A few of these guys are a number of the greatest gamers within the league and I acquired an opportunity to play with [them]. As a child, I at all times dreamed about clearly making it to the NFL and making it to the Tremendous Bowl, so to have the ability to say I skilled that’s huge. Clearly, I wished to get the win, however hopefully I can try this this yr upcoming with Tampa Bay.”

Predicting what sort of season Gregory may have with the Bucs is sort of troublesome at this second. Coaching camp will determine whether or not he’ll be beginning, used as a delegated move rusher and even the primary participant off the bench in sure rotations and packages. However having stability in a single place with the hope of enjoying one other full season leaves generates some pleasure about what Gregory and the Bucs can do in 2024.

“I believe, clearly, you guys have had success right here over the previous few years,” Gregory mentioned. “We’ve got an incredible workforce proper there, set as much as make one other run. That’s what I intend on doing – attempting to assist in that method.”