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The Dallas Cowboys should hear something relatively soon about the reinstatement of defensive end Randy Gregory. Gregory’s path back to the NFL has been a tough one with bumps along the way, but for the Cowboys there could be more riding on him being back with the team. The return of Gregory could very well mean that the Cowboys are able to save money and possibly bring in another free agent to help the team in 2020.
Now, again, this all depends on Gregory’s reinstatement so let’s assume that happens. With Gregory back on the field the Cowboys have a very nice rotation at defensive end, and they have beefed up the defensive tackle spot, so they would be able to cut defensive end/tackle Tyrone Crawford if they wanted to save some money. Crawford is coming back from hip surgery that knocked him out last season. Cutting him gives the Cowboys another $8 million in cap space to work with while only losing $1.1 million in dead cap space according to Overthecap.com.
The reason that Crawford becomes expendable is thanks to the reinstatement of fellow defensive end Aldon Smith. With reports claiming Smith is coming in around the 280-lb range he is similarly sized to Crawford. He could essentially take over the role that Crawford has held down for years. But, this is all if Gregory is reinstated, if not then Smith will be playing the majority of his time at defensive end and Crawford would continue in his current versatile role if healthy.
With Crawford cut and Gregory back with the team, the Cowboys the can take that $8 million and put it towards the Dak Prescott contract, or the signing of additional free agents, or trading for a safety like Jamal Adams or Anthony Harris.
The Cowboy hopes for Randy Gregory are primarily related to his ability to play on game day, but his return would also give them some flexibility on the defensive line. They could choose to use that by freeing up some extra money and making some more moves.