Is troubled Cowboy soon to return?
Smith’s reinstatement may be good news for Gregory
Now that Dallas Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith has been reinstated by the NFL from an indefinite suspension, the big question is when Randy Gregory will be given the green light to return to the team as well?
To date, Gregory has been suspended for 46 games as he has not played since 2018, but he has filed for reinstatement. An NFL source was less than optimistic when asked about Gregory’s potential return.
No final decision has been made but Gregory’s agent, Peter Schaffer, is encouraged by Smith’s reinstatement.
“We are working through the process,” Schaffer said in a text message. “We are very happy for Aldon and wish him all the luck in the world and successful resumption of his career. It’s refreshing to see the NFL following through on their stated goal to focus more of rehabbing players than punishing players.”
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and the Players Association ends the policy of suspending players for positive marijuana tests. But it does not provide amnesty for players like Gregory who were serving suspensions at the time the new CBA was adopted.
He still needs approval from Commissioner
Roger Goodell.
Gregory, 27, is serving his fourth suspension for violation of the NFL’s substances of abuse policy and he has failed or missed at least six tests with the Cowboys. He has played in 28 games in five seasons with the Cowboys. In 2018, he played 14 games and recorded six sacks.
JETS: Quarterback Joe Flacco has agreed to terms on a one-year deal, the 2013 Super Bowl MVP’s agency announced on Twitter.
The move to bring in Flacco, 35, gives third-year starter Sam Darnold a veteran backup, but one who is also coming off a herniated disk that cut short his only season in Denver and required surgery to repair.
Financial terms were not immediately disclosed, but ESPN reported the deal is worth $1.5 million and could reach $4.5 million with incentives.
Flacco has thrown for 40,067 yards with 218 touchdowns and 141 interceptions in 11 seasons. He struggled during Denver’s 2-6 first half of the season, throwing for only 1,822 yards with six TDs and five interceptions, and was sacked 26 times. Flacco said he initially had neck issues a few weeks before a game against the Colts on Oct. 27.
After the season, Flacco was optimistic he would be medically cleared and be able to continue his career. He also said he would be open to a backup job.
BRADY BASHING: Diocese of Providence (R.I.) Bishop Thomas Tobin, in a tongue-in-cheek tweet Friday, took a swipe at former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady while praising Brady’s former boss for raising more than $1 million for coronavirus relief by auctioning a Super Bowl ring.
“Bob Kraft is auctioning a Super Bowl ring for charity,” Tobin tweeted. “Very admirable indeed. But is it true that Tom Brady bid on it because he knows it’s the only way he’ll get another ring?”
Brady won six championships in 20 seasons in New England before signing a free-agent deal with Tampa Bay.
PACKERS: Defensive lineman Montravius Adams was arrested in Georgia on Tuesday and charged with marijuana and driving offenses. He was stopped just after 6 p.m. on suspicion of driving with a suspended registration and no insurance, according to a Houston County Sheriff’s Office report. It was not immediately clear why police had such suspicions.
An officer detected a scent of marijuana, which was found in a search of the car, the report said. Adams faces misdemeanor charges of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, driving with a suspended registration and driving without insurance.
SEAHAWKS: Seattle agreed to a one-year deal with free agent RB Carlos Hyde, who gained 1,070 yards in 2019 with the Houston Texans.