Though free company is winding down, the Bucs aren’t finished signing gamers.
On Thursday Tampa Bay signed veteran outdoors linebacker Randy Gregory to a one-year, prove-it deal price lower than $5 million to assist the staff’s depth on the place. The Bucs launched Shaq Barrett, who might be 32 this fall, in a wage cap transfer, as Barrett was incomes a median of $17 million per season.
The 31-year outdated Gregory comes less expensive, and nonetheless has some fuel left within the tank. He’s contemporary off a Tremendous Bowl look with San Francisco after splitting time between the 49ers (12 video games) and the Broncos (4 video games) final season.
Identified for taking part in arduous, the 6-foot-5, 242-pound brings measurement and expertise to a Tampa Bay outdoors linebacker room that wants each after the departure of Barrett. Gregory was Dallas’ second-round pick of Nebraska in 2015, and spent his first 5 seasons with the Cowboys. He moved on to Denver in 2022 the place he lasted simply over a 12 months earlier than ending the 2023 season in San Francisco.
Randy Gregory May Wind Up Beginning For The Bucs At OLB
Bucs OLB Randy Gregory – Picture by: USA Right this moment
Randy Gregory was not essentially signed to be a starter in Tampa Bay. However he might be competing with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson for the best to begin reverse YaYa Diaby this season. His signing doesn’t preclude the Bucs from drafting one other edge rusher, too. But it lessens the necessity to take action.
Gregory reunites with Bucs outdoors linebackers coach George Edwards, who was the Cowboys’ move rush coach from 2020-22. Gregory has recorded 117 tackles, 22 sacks, 10 compelled fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries in his seven-year NFL profession. He additionally had an interception throughout the 2021 season the place he additionally tied his profession excessive with six sacks.
Gregory had seven pressures and a sack whereas with the Broncos final 12 months and 18 pressures and a pair of.5 sacks with the 49ers.
With the Bucs having a really younger outdoors linebacker room with three gamers getting into their second season within the league in Diaby, Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez, it was necessary that the staff signal an edge rusher like Gregory to exchange the veteran presence that Shaq Barrett dropped at the room.
Gregory was a really athletic edge rusher popping out of Nebraska with 4.64 pace within the 40, a 6.79 time within the three-cone drill and a 4.16 time within the shuttle. These numbers are among the many ninetieth percentile for edge rushers getting into the NFL Draft.
