DENVER — The Broncos and Randy Gregory mutually agreed to part ways Tuesday.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday the team made the decision to move on, although Gregory had also expressed a desire to move on, a source told 9NEWS.
Payton said the team will continue to try and trade Gregory -- the team had been trying to deal him in recent days with no takers -- but either way they will move on from the veteran despite the $10,89 million remaining on his guaranteed $14 million salary this year.
"None of it's been finalized yet but it's something we felt was best for our team timing-wise,'' Payton said. "It hasn't been finalized yet because typically before a transaction takes place there may be some teams interested in a trade. ... We just felt like with some of our younger players and where we're going it was best for our team right now."
A similar scenario occurred with Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam five weeks ago. The Broncos notified Albert O he was cut on August 29 as the team set its initial 53-man roster, a move 9NEWS reported. A few hours later, though, the Philadelphia Eagles acquired the tight end in exchange for flopping a seventh and six-round pick in in a future draft.
As for Gregory, this may be another example of new head coach Sean Payton setting a new culture where it's out with old and in with the new.
The new are third-year outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper and second-year player Nik Bonitto, who replaced Gregory in the starting lineup Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Baron Browning, projected as a starting outside linebacker this year but has been sidelined since May with a knee injury, was also activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list Wednesday and practiced for the first time since last season Browning may be another week or two away from game-ready but his return to practice, along with veteran outside linebacker Frank Clark's return from a groin/hip abductor injury this week, made Gregory expendable.
"Just sad,'' Cooper said when asked by 9NEWS about his reaction to Gregory's departure. "Obviously, this is part of the business and part of the game in the NFL but you always hate to see a guy go like that, especially when he's been with us (for a while).
"Randy Gregory is a fantastic player and even better teammate to me. So to see a guy like that go after he's been with us ... it just sucks."
A former Dallas Cowboy, Gregory signed a five-year, $70 million contract as a free agent with the Broncos in March 2022. The deal paid him $14 million last year and guaranteed him another $14 million for this season. There are no more guarantees after this season.
Gregory was a force through three games last season, registering 2.0 sacks in the team's 2-1 start. But a knee injury in game 4 required in-season surgery and he wasn't the same upon returning late in the season.
Gregory was healthy all offseason but after getting a sack on Washington quarterback Sam Howell in game 2, he nor any other defensive player played well in the Broncos' embarrassing 70-20 loss at Miami.
Payton and Gregory's agent Peter Sc haffer discussed Gregory's release Monday night and it was mutually decided it was best for everyone if the linebacker got a fresh start elsewhere. Gregory finished with just 3.0 sacks in 10 games for the Broncos.
Turning 31 in November, Gregory is expected to find another team soon with his new salary -- most likely a prorated veteran minimum of $1.165 million -- will offset what the Broncos still have to pay. Still, the Broncos will pay a pretty penny to re-set their defense towards the younger Cooper, Bonitto and Browning, a third-year player who was a Broncos' third-round draft pick in 2021.
Bonitto, a second-round pick last year, made the defensive play of the game in the Broncos' 31-28 comeback win against the Bears. With the team rallying from a 28-7 deficit, Bonitto sacked quarterback Justin Fields, knocked the ball loose and Cooper picked it up and rambled 35 yards for a game-tying touchdown return midway through the fourth quarter.
Bonitto and Cooper lead the Denver D with 3.5 and 3.0 sacks, respectively. Gregory is third with 1.0. Besides Clark, the Broncos also have undrafted rookie Thomas Incoom among their outside linebackers and have Marcus Haynes on their practice squad.
And then there's Browning working his way back into playing shape following offseason surgery.
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