Update: It was announced on Friday evening that the Broncos had not formally released Gregory despite report that they had. Gregory has been traded to the San Francisco 49ers

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The NFL trade deadline is looming. It's just a couple weeks away. This is the time when Detroit Lions fans are coming up with scenarios that have the Lions trading for all kinds of different players. Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby seems to be the favorite right now. Lost in all of the trade discussion is an interesting option that doesn't currently have a home. Defensive end Randy Gregory. 

This whole idea stems from Thursday morning when I was asked about Gregory in this weeks mailbag. At the time, I went with a full on "I don't know" answer. I think the best way to help us figure it out is to do a pros and cons. Let's do it. 

Pros

For starters, Gregory was really good when he as with the Cowboys. He had 15.5 sacks in three seasons as a starter for the Cowboys. He graded out in the high 70’s and low 80’s in those three years. That’s why he got a big contract from the Denver Broncos. A 5-year $70 million deal to be exact.  

Things started well for him there until he started dealing with injuries. He only wound up playing five games for the Broncos in 2022 and then four games this year before they released him on Wednesday. 

Things have gone down hill for him, but that's been the Lions specialty for years now. Take the guy that looks like he's done and turn his career around. They've done it with Charles Harris, John Cominsky, Isaiah Biggs, Benito Jones and Jared Goff. It's not hard to believe that they could do it again with Gregory. 

If they could get that Cowboys play out of him, then him and Aidan Hutchinson would be one hell of a duo. 

Cons

The problem is that Gregory is already 30 years old and the guys the Lions were able to turn around are significantly younger. The Broncos decided to part with him for a reason. Well, there’s 70 million reasons, but other than that, its’ becasue his decline was steep. 

Gregory went from a steady force to a guy that's been taken out of the starting lineup and then released. Those 70's and 80's grades we were talking about are now 50's. At a certain point and time, it's harder to turn things around and Gregory might be at that point. 

Conclusion

I think you have to pass here if you’re the Lions. If Gregory were to come to Detroit, he’s have to go up against Charles Harris, John Cominsky and more. Julian Okwara is on the verge of returning both Josh Paschal and James Houston are set to return from IR in the coming weeks. That’s a lot to contend with if you’re Gregory.

I'm not saying the Lions will stay away form the position when it comes tot he trade deadline. If you have a shot at Crosby or Chase Young, you take that shot and figure it out later. Gregory is just not those guys. So you stick with what you have. 

I'm sure he'll find a team. If I had to guess, he's either going back to the cowboys or the Bears will sign him. They love signing defensive linemen in Chicago.  

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