Randy Gregory has come a long way since entering the NFL in 2015. After years of battling demons outside of football, Gregory has gained control of his personal life and it has manifested into him producing on the field in a way the Cowboys had hoped for when he was drafted.

March is right around the corner which means free agency will commence soon. Gregory is a top priority for the Cowboys as he is looking for his first lucrative payday after signing a one-year extension in September of 2020.

Pro Football Focus put out a piece on the top 200 players entering free agency. Gregory got plenty of love on the list as he was ranked 14th.

Gregory has finally reached unrestricted free agent status after getting drafted No. 60 overall in 2015 and making an impressive return to full-time football action over the past two seasons. His 84.7 pass-rush grade in the 2021 regular season ranked 11th among edge defenders. The big question may be whether Dallas is able to retain a player who has developed into a premier pass-rusher while also paying edge defender DeMarcus Lawrence top-five money at the position. If Gregory does reach free agency, there may be a long line of teams vying for his services.

The Cowboys have quite the conundrum on their hands at defensive end. If Dallas is smart, they'll restructure DeMarcus Lawrence and get around $12 million in cap relief so that they can retain guys like Gregory, wide receiver Michael Gallup, and safety Jayron Kearse. However, it's possible, although unlikely, that they decide to move on from Lawrence.

If that is the case then keeping Gregory in the building becomes more paramount. Parting ways with Lawrence would leave veteran Tarell Basham as the only edge rusher under contract with the Cowboys with any lengthy NFL experience. Outside of him, there's 2021 third-round pick Chauncey Golston, and although he showed a few flashes last season, that doesn't provide a lot of stability at the defensive end position in 2022.

The value for Gregory on the open market is about $39.8 million for three years according to Spotrac ($13.26 million yearly). Dallas can easily create enough cap space to sign Gregory long-term by pulling a few triggers. In addition to the savings the Cowboys could get from restructuring the aforementioned Lawrence, cap dollars can also be created by redoing the deals of quarterback Dak Prescott and wide Amari Cooper.

$27 million in cap room will come about with those two moves, and it can grow to $39 million if the Lawrence restructure is done. With the Cowboys being around $21 million over the salary cap this would work wonders, and of course, aid in keeping Randy Gregory on the roster.

Feature image via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports