Depth is necessary 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 12 months, had flashes final 12 months in a restricted position and will break into that group this season. Jose Ramirez, a sixth-round decide in 2023, spent final season on the observe squad and can also be ready within the wings.
However do the Bucs have too many gamers on the place?
Definitely not.
If any of these prime 4 edge rushers go down, the Bucs might be pressured to depend on a participant with little or no expertise in Watts – or none in Ramirez’s case. What is perhaps for the higher although is that if a participant such because the 31-year outdated Randy Gregory solely performs a restricted quantity of snaps. Gregory actually has expertise, however he’s missed plenty of video games both as a consequence of accidents or suspensions earlier in his profession.
Randy Gregory Has Struggled To Go well with Up For An Whole Season
Outdoors of his missed time as a consequence of some suspensions, it’s been a mess of accidents which have slowed Randy Gregory down going all the way in which again to his faculty taking part in days. At Arizona Western School, Gregory broke his fibula, which pressured him to overlook all the 2012 season. As a rookie with the Cowboys in 2015, he obtained 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 – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
The 2017 season was utterly derailed by one other suspension and he didn’t play the entire 12 months. 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 induced Randy Gregory to overlook time and the Broncos didn’t activate him for some time. He was additionally suspended for a sport for combating in opposition to an opponent. In all, he performed in solely six video games that 12 months.
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 out there week in and week out was a particular accomplishment for him.
“As athletes, we all the time go in with sure targets we need to obtain, whether or not that be our profession or the upcoming season,” Randy Gregory stated on Thursday. “My largest factor was with the ability to play a full season. Such as you stated, I haven’t performed a full season within the league. I’ve solely performed one full season in faculty.
“Whether or not or not it’s suspensions or accidents, one thing performed an impact. To have the ability to play a full 12 months and never solely that, however clearly attending to the Tremendous Bowl – it was essentially the most video games I’ve performed in my complete total soccer profession ever since I may keep in mind. That was my largest objective. I felt like if I may end the 12 months wholesome and go into the following 12 months wholesome, clearly that might be good for my future. I hope I can do the identical and end out my profession in a wholesome means and in a successful means.”
Randy Gregory Seems 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 crew in a commerce to the 49ers, in the end taking part in on this 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl, and transferring to a brand new metropolis through the season had a big effect on him.
Bucs OLB Randy Gregory – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
“It’s positively not straightforward for me – I’m large on comfortability,” Gregory stated. “To need to make that swap in the course of the 12 months and basically not end my finish of the cope with Denver was powerful. Clearly, going to a brand new spot was powerful, too. My largest factor was with the ability to go there and type of combine myself in a non-threatening means and [be] as natural as I could make it. Like I stated earlier, make performs the place I can and assist out once I’m not on the market.
“It was powerful, nevertheless it was enjoyable on the identical time. A few of these guys are a few of the greatest gamers within the league and I obtained an opportunity to play with [them]. As a child, I all the time 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 large. Clearly, I needed to get the win, however hopefully I can do this this 12 months upcoming with Tampa Bay.”
Predicting what sort of season Gregory could have with the Bucs is kind of tough at this second. Coaching camp will resolve whether or not he’ll be beginning, used as a chosen cross 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 taking part in 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 stated. “We’ve a terrific crew proper there, set as much as make one other run. That’s what I intend on doing – attempting to assist in that means.”
