12:51pm: The Cowboys have officially signed Gregory, the team confirmed today (Twitter link).
12:45pm: The Cowboys have agreed to terms on a rookie contract for second-round pass rusher Randy Gregory, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The agreement leaves Dallas with three unsigned picks, including first-round cornerback Byron Jones.
Gregory, the 60th overall pick out of Nebraska, was viewed as a probable top-10 pick based on talent alone, but a failed drug test at the combine and potential mental health concerns caused him to drop into the second round. Despite those off-field concerns, PFR readers were surprised not to see Gregory come off the board in round one — heading into the second round, he edged Landon Collins as the most surprising non-first-round pick in our poll.
Had Gregory been a top-10 selection, he would’ve been assured of a four-year contract worth upwards of $14MM fully guaranteed, with a signing bonus exceeding $8MM. After falling to No. 60, he’ll be in line instead for a four-year pact worth $3.815MM, with a signing bonus worth about $1.035MM, according to Over The Cap’s data.
While Gregory’s fall in the draft was an unfortunate turn of events for the young edge defender, it could turn out to be a boon for the Cowboys. After drafting Jones with their first-round pick, the Cowboys landed two more first-round talents, in Gregory and undrafted free agent La’el Collins.