Randy Gregory's Agent Points to 'Language' in Contract as Reason for Spurning Cowboys
The Denver Broncos made headlines again in free agency when edge rusher Randy Gregory — after agreeing to terms on a contract with the Dallas Cowboys — backed out of the deal and instead accepted a similar contract from Mile High on Tuesday.
Or perhaps that's not exactly how events unfolded.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio spoke with Gregory's agent, Peter Schaffer, about the situation. Schaffer told Florio that he and Gregory, in fact, had agreed to a deal with the Broncos Monday night.
That was when the Cowboys jumped in and increased their offer, which prompted Gregory to stay — until he and Schaffer read the contract and saw the clause that raised their objections about guarantees being wiped out for any fine imposed by the NFL.
“No other teams have that language in their contracts,” Schaffer told PFT. “No other teams. Never in 30 years have I seen that language.”
Florio noted that teams usually include language that allows them to void guarantees if a player is suspended. Being fined, though, is a different situation. Schaffer said the Cowboys front office told him all players had that clause in their contracts with the team, but Schaffer learned Dak Prescott didn't have the clause.
CowboysSI.com's Mike Fisher reported that the language Gregory took issue with was actually present in his last Dallas contract, and offered proof on his YouTube channel. However it went down, Dallas failed to secure Gregory's services and what's important to note is that the Broncos had their sights set on Gregory when reports connected them to Chandler Jones and old friend Von Miller.
And as Schaffer tells it, the Broncos were the team showing a lot of interest and presenting Gregory with an offer, only for the Cowboys to intervene in an effort to keep the edge rusher. While the clause in question did cause issues for Gregory and Schaffer, the additional details indicate that the Broncos didn't just swoop in after things between Gregory and the Cowboys fell apart.
The Broncos, instead, were close to getting Gregory the day before, then the Cowboys swooped in to try to keep him. As plenty will note, the Gregory contract doesn't come without risk, but it's important to remember that teams aren't on the hook for money if a player is suspended.
Of course, that can still be frustrating for fans when the player isn't available. Still, it appears what Gregory's decision came down to was the team that first presented an offer that appealed to him, was the one he and his agent ultimately believed treated Gregory fairly in negotiations.
Gregory now must prove himself on the field — but it's likely Gregory has plenty of motivation to do that now.
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