Dallas Cowboys trade Everson Griffen to Lions, should mean more reps for Randy Gregory
It was a curiosity on Sunday when after the Dallas Cowboys made a big deal about the return of defensive end Randy Gregory to only see him play six snaps in the 25-3 loss to Washington.
Gregory shouldn’t have to worry about limited reps going forward now that the Cowboys have traded veteran defensive end Everson Griffen to the Detroit Lions.
Per sources, the trade is for a conditional sixth-round pick that could become a fifth-rounder.
Griffin, who had 2.5 sacks for the Cowboys after signing a one-year deal in August, will help bolster a 3-3 Detroit team that is looking to make a playoff bush.
The Lions will pay Griffen’s $1.76 million in salary for the rest of the year, plus $187,500 for each game in which he is on the active roster.
Though disappointed with their 2-5 start, the Cowboys are not out of the NFC East, as they in a second place tie with Washington behind the Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1).
Still, the Cowboys are realistic about where they stand as a team and it made sense to make a deal that doesn’t hurt the present but could help the future.
Gregory played against Washington for the first time since 2018 due to an NFL suspension for repeated violations of the substance abuse policy. He is a talented pass rusher that needs reps to knock the rust off and will only get better with playing time, especially considering he is under contract through 2021 and Griffen was on a one-year deal.
It also should open the door for more reps for rookie fifth-round pick Bradley Anae, who was made inactive against Washington to make room for Gregory.
Now, both should be on the game-day active roster getting reps and experience for more prominent roles in a Cowboys future that could also be without Aldon Smith, who leads the team with four sacks but he is also on a one-year deal.
This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 5:58 PM.
