Dallas Cowboys:  The Randy Gregory debacle could be blessing in disguise

When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys organization, you can find more drama on a daily basis than any reality show on television. If it isn’t Jerry Jones overhyping the Cowboys to his own fanbase, then its Stephen Jones “bargain bin” shopping for the best player in hopes of winning a Super Bowl.

Then to make matters worse, the Cowboys will find themselves in the middle of some drama that they supposedly did not self-create. The most recent gut-wrenching drama surrounding the Cowboys is how defensive end Randy Gregory flipped on them at the last minute and signed a five-year, $70 million contract with Denver that includes $28 million guaranteed.

At the eleventh hour, Gregory didn’t like the language in the Cowboys contract and took his pass rushing skills to the Mile High City. The sad part is both contracts are identical in money-except for the language piece that other teams do not use in their contracts.

The Dallas Cowboys can look at the Randy Gregory debacle as a blessing in disguise because …

After trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a 5th rounder and some movie tickets, Dallas’ fanbase was beyond livid at Jerry and Stephen. But then they briefly won the fanbase back when DeMarcus Lawrence agreed to a three-year, $40 million contract with $30 million fully guaranteed. In essence, D-Law’s contract opened up the opportunity for Dallas to sign Gregory and bring back one the best pass rush tandems in the league.

For the first time in forever, Dallas is forced to spend money on a top-tier free agent to bolster its pass rush, and it is a good thing because Stephen cannot use “cap strap” as an excuse for not spending money.

It appeared Dallas’ front office had put its priorities in place to give this team a fighting chance to at least repeat as NFC East champs. But then the unthinkable happened (that never happens to a good player Dallas really wants to keep). Gregory walked. I mean, even Jerry has openly said he makes it a point to keep his best players.

As embarrassing as this debacle may be for Jerry and Stephen, it forces them to do something big.

Stephen can no longer use the lame excuse there is no money available or thrift shop for a scrub. Because quite frankly, that $70 million dollars allocated for Gregory can be well spent on an elite defensive player like Bobby Wagner.

Normally, Stephen wouldn’t look outside of his own players to sign an elite player, but his hand is being forced and the opportunity presents itself where Dallas can afford-depending on the structure of the contract-to sign Wagner and someone else. At age 31, Wagner is an eight-time Pro Bowler that will bring not only make Dallas’ defense better but will allow Parsons to chase down quarterbacks like cheetahs chasing gazelles in the Sahara Desert.

Paring Wagner with his former defensive coordinator-Dan Quinn-is an added bonus because of the familiarity of the defensive schemes. Another bonus is Wagner can serve as a mentor to the promising Parsons. What better player to mentor Parsons than Wagner-a Super Bowl-winning linebacker and future Hall of Famer.

In conclusion,

For the first time in forever, Dallas is forced to spend money on a top-tier free agent to bolster its pass rush, and it is a good thing because Stephen cannot use “cap strap” as an excuse for not spending money. Even Jerry sees the potential in signing the aforementioned future Hall of Famers, and definitely sees the benefits in signing other legitimate free agents Melvin Ingram, Trey Flowers, and Derek Barnett.

Dallas sits in a unique position where it can use any type of combination to sign offensive and defensive stars. Keep in mind, Dallas needs a WR, OG, and OC on offense as well.  In addition, Dallas still has the flexibility to re-sign one of their own at a decent price, Dorance Armstrong.

Losing Gregory hurts for the moment, but it is a temporary setback because Dallas has some really good options at their disposal. Overall, it’s a blessing in disguise because it takes Stephen out of his comfort zone and makes Stephen do something that he strongly dislikes: spending money on an elite free agent.