Cowboys Rumors: Latest Buzz on Randy Gregory, Everson Griffen, More

The two biggest questions for the Dallas Cowboys heading into free agency have been answered in the first week.

Would the team be able to bring back Amari Cooper on a long-term deal? Check. Would the team put the franchise tag on Dak Prescott to continue negotiating and not let him hit free agency? Check.

The team also signed a trio of defensive backs to bolster its secondary, picked tight end Blake Jarwin to replace Jason Witten and added defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to solidify its line.

So what exactly is left? And would Dallas be better off filling its roster with what's left in the free-agent pool or using its seven draft picks to fortify those holes?

Gregory Files for Reinstatement

Dallas will be desperate to find a pass-rusher after Robert Quinn signed with the Chicago Bears at the beginning of free agency, and the team might have just the one it needs already on the roster. Randy Gregory, who missed all of last season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, is filing for reinstatement, according to ESPN's Todd Archer.

Gregory, 27, has only played in 28 games since he came into the league in 2015 after missing or failing several drug tests. And while the terms of the league's new collective bargaining agreement state that a player can no longer be suspended for a positive marijuana test, because Gregory was suspended under the old system, he is required to apply for reinstatement.

Per Archer, the team attempted to give Gregory a contract extension last season but were told that suspended players can't be offered new contracts. He is still under his rookie deal with the team but would likely sign a short-term extension if reinstated. In 2018, he recorded 6.5 sacks in 14 games.

Griffen Unlikely to Be a Target 

Dallas has been linked to a handful of defensive linemen in free agency, including 32-year-old ex-Minnesota Viking Everson Griffen. But according to ESPN's Ed Werder, his Cowboys sources say it is "unlikely" the team would go after Griffin to replace Robert Quinn.

Griffen, who has played his entire 10-year career in Minnesota, is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl season in the past five years after notching eight sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 24 quarterback hits in 2019. But his age—he will be 33 in December—along with the fact that Dallas is hopeful it can get Gregory back in the fold at a small cap hit, makes him a more of a luxury than a necessity.

Dorsett a Possibility at Wideout

With Amari Cooper locked into a contract for the next four seasons and Michael Gallup still under his rookie deal, Dallas has its top two wide receivers set. But according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the team could have interest in ex-New England Patriots wideout Phillip Dorsett at the right price.

Dorsett, who just finished his fifth season in the league, caught 29 passes for 397 yards and five touchdowns last year. His production isn't particularly impressive—he's never caught more than 33 passes in a season—but Dallas could likely get him on a short-term deal that wouldn't cost them much against the cap.

The team is in desperate need of a slot receiver, though, and Dorsett simply doesn't fit that bill. If the Cowboys don't like what they see on the free-agent market, this year's draft class is relatively deep at wide receiver, especially in the slot.

It's unlikely Dallas would spend its first-round pick on a wideout given the more pressing roster needs elsewhere, but there should be good players available in the second to fourth rounds whose selections would make sense for Jerry Jones and Co.

Follow Keegan on Twitter, @ByKeeganPope.