Randy Gregory was a coveted veteran presence that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had hoped to add to their locker room. However, the former Cowboys linebacker will not be taking his talents to Tampa. The club released him yesterday, and Head Coach Todd Bowles has spoken out about the whole ordeal.
On Sunday, Bowles told ESPN that he was not given any clarification or reasoning for Gregory’s absence. However, he doesn’t feel the Bucs missed out, remarking, “You can’t miss what you don’t have.”
#Bucs coach Todd Bowles said he never got a reason why Randy Gregory never reported but said, “you can’t miss what you didn’t have.”
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 18, 2024
After signing a $1.36 million deal with the Buccaneers this off-season, Gregory went off the radar and did not show up to any of the mandatory minicamps, training camp, or pre-season games.
Two months ago, Bowles made it clear that it was an unexcused absence and even though they were taking it “day-by-day”, his absence would be “taken care of.” And true to his word, Gregory will not be on the Bucs roster for 2024. He will even have to give his signing bonus back to the franchise.
With the strict fines in place under the CBA, he had already been fined a million dollars for missing action. Thus, there was no coming back from this eventual release. The Bucs can now move forward with their next steps, and Gregory can do the same.
Once a top prospect for the league, the linebacker had a difficult stint in the NFL. After being drafted by the Cowboys in 2015, he played only 72 games over nine years. Off the field, substance abuse issues troubled his career, leading to four suspensions.
But now he’s on record saying he’s getting treatment for his issues. So, hopefully, he turns over a new leaf and sorts himself out for another shot at playing or even coaching.
NFL fans predict Gregory’s next move after Tampa exit
Although it looks unlikely that he will come back to play, that didn’t stop social media from trying to figure out where he could be going next. And maybe half of them are joking, but it still makes for some very interesting scenarios with the veteran linebacker.
One user on X said this might be Jerry Jones’ sign to bring him back, while another one wanted him to go to the Ravens and help out their defense.
And even though these sound plausible, Gregory opting out of a Todd Bowles’ led defense lends one to believe he will not be coming back. In any case, here’s what social media said about Randy Gregory’s next move:
New ravens edge
— •RvW (@ravenwizardd) August 18, 2024
@dldavis88 Bet Jerry brings back his pet project
— Dennistrainum (@dennistrainum) August 18, 2024
He’s a brown
— BrownsMuse (@CleBrownsMuse) August 18, 2024
One fan believes Coach Bowles knows something he’s not letting on:
TODD BOWLES is surely hiding something
— MAXI~MILLIANO (@sexy_donn_donn) August 18, 2024
Even though Gregory never made it to Tampa, his signing proves he still physically has what it takes. If the linebacker is able to overcome the mental hurdles in front of him, maybe he can get a shot with a team in the future and prove himself. He has had moments of brilliance on the field, but they have been too few and far between.
The post Todd Bowles Hints at No Love Lost With Randy Gregory Over Missing Action and Getting Cut appeared first on The SportsRush.
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