After a brief run with the San Francisco 49ers, linebacker Randy Gregory will join the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Gregory “agreed to terms” with the Buccaneers on Wednesday, the organization reported. He joined the 49ers in the midst of the 2023 season, following a trade with the Denver Broncos for a pair of third-round picks.
Denver released him in the middle of his five-year, $70 million contract. His acquisition cost the 49ers only $840,000 in cap space for 2023.
Gregory recorded 2.5 sacks and 11 tackles in five regular-season games for the 49ers. He appeared in all three playoff games, including the Super Bowl, and recorded three tackles in the process.
Randy Gregory Things came together after a rocky start.
Gregory began his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, as a second-round draft pick out of Nebraska, where he was an All-American and All-Big 10. His NFL career did not take off, however, due to many suspensions for substance usage in his first three seasons.
In 2018, he had six sacks, two forced fumbles, and 25 tackles in 14 games with the Cowboys, which helped turn things around for him. Unfortunately, he received another drug misuse policy suspension in February 2019 and missed the next season.
Gregory rebounded in 2020, recording 3.5 sacks, 21 tackles, and three forced fumbles for the Cowboys. In 2021, he recorded six sacks, 19 tackles, and three forced fumbles.
Denver signed Gregory as a free agent in 2022 for $70 million, although he missed the first year due to a knee ailment. While Gregory began the 2023 season well, younger Broncos players Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper also had great starts.
“This is something we created and decided. And look, you always spend a lot of time making judgments like these. So, as I previously stated, we felt it was best for our team,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters in October 2023, per DenverSports.com.
Randy Gregory Was the 49ers’ gain for a time?
General manager John Lynch saw this as a win for the 49ers. Lynch, a former safety and Hall of Famer, understands the need of defensive depth.
“We want an embarrassment of riches up front,” Lynch told reporters in October 2023, per 49erswebzone.com. “That is how we are driven. When I was playing, I felt like Warren Sapp was present. And if you had one dominant guy, it would be great to acquire Simeon Rice, like we had in our Super Bowl year. You had terrific players to complement, but you didn’t go eight deep.”
Gregory made his 49ers debut in Week 6, with one sack and three tackles. Kyle Shanahan, the Niners head coach, loved what he saw.
“I thought it was a wonderful experience simply being out there. He had been in our scheme for two and a half practices up to that point,” Shanahan told reporters in October 2023 via 49erswebzone.com. “To be able to get in there and make some plays, get sack and TFL. I adored his length out there. I adore what we witnessed. I believe the more he works with us, the more he practices, and the more he understands our strategy, the better he will become.”
Gregory played more productive games with the 49ers, but his asking price in free agency would have been high. The Niners have $6.77 million in salary cap room this season.
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