'U-Turn': What Went Wrong - Contract Issue Causing Randy Gregory to Stiff Cowboys, Sign With Broncos

DeMarcus Lawrence's contract was going to help keep his teammate in Dallas. But that's reportedly over now. And here's why ...

FRISCO - Teamwork makes the dream work. And, in the case of the Dallas Cowboys, makes the contracts work also.

Or, at least it did for a minute there.

Using salary-cap room made available by a re-structured deal to DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys on Tuesday agreed to give his defensive-end bookend Randy Gregory a five-year, $70 million contract including $28 million guaranteed.

That happened just after breakfast. But before the meal could be digested, an odd "u-turn'': The free agent Gregory accepted the same contract with the Denver Broncos.

D210SPORTS

The good news: Lawrence's new deal, worth $40 million but guaranteeing him $30 million over the next three years, sliced his $27 million cap impact in 2022 almost literally in half. So the Cowboys can still go shopping.

The bad news?

A team source tells CowboysSI.com that re-signing coming free agent Gregory was “a major priority”.

#HomeForGood 🤘🏿 pic.twitter.com/gA7fbFvHTR

— DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) March 14, 2022

Why was the deal botched?

As we understand it, the two sides had their agreement. But at some point, the Cowboys either interjected - or Gregory's side noticed - some sort of "behavioral clause'' tucked into the deal.

And Gregory's side balked.

Dallas is within its rights to ask for such a thing, given Gregory's spotty history. But Gregory - with other bidders on the phone - is within his rights to change his mind.

So he did. Over brunch.

The Cowboys were hoping Gregory would give them a “hometown discount,” owner Jerry Jones saying, he had a “good visit” with Gregory's agent at the Senior Bowl.

“Knowing our time together,” Jones added, “and some of the pluses and some of the times that we’ve had to work through some of the not-so-fun things, that will serve us well.”

It didn't serve Dallas well. It's ... not so fun.

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