ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Randy Gregory is at his best, as a football player and a person, when he is comfortable in his surroundings. The Broncos edge rusher has been open and transparent throughout his career about his quest to stay on top of his mental health. Finding consistent things, people and places he can count on is a critical part of his process. It’s a process that allows him, when it is working properly, to be the kind of game-wrecking presence the Broncos envisioned when they signed Gregory to a five-year contract worth up to $70 million during free agency in 2022.
That’s why Gregory knew uprooting his personal and professional life last offseason — leaving the Cowboys after seven years and countless ups and downs in Dallas — would be a significant adjustment. Then came the knee injury four games into his first season with the Broncos. It was followed by a tailspin for the team while he was away. He returned late in the season, only to re-injure the knee and end the season on injured reserve as the Broncos fired their coaching staff and later hired Sean Payton. The frustration Gregory felt was encapsulated by his participation in Denver’s Christmas Day meltdown against the Rams, when he drew multiple personal foul penalties and then threw a punch at an opposing player in a postgame scrum.
It certainly wasn’t what Gregory had envisioned for his first year with the Broncos.
“Anyone who knows me knows I’m big on comfortability,” Gregory said Thursday as he spoke to assembled media members for the first time since late last season. “Being in one state for that long was big for me. So making the jump to coming to a different team was (a big deal) — and that, coupled with the year we had and the injuries, it was tough. … Everyone wants to get tied up on the physical, but the big thing for me this offseason was getting the mental down, being able to fight those little mental battles. You’re going to have bad plays. Put them behind you and go on to the next one.”
(From L-R) Broncos linebackers Baron Browning, Ray Wilborn and Gregory. (Isaiah J. Downing / USA TODAY Sports)
Gregory’s tenure in Denver last year began on a side field. He spent most of training camp rehabbing following a shoulder surgery he had shortly before signing with the Broncos. He returned in time for Denver’s opener against the Seahawks, forcing a fumble in a narrow loss. He continued to create havoc during Denver’s 2-1 start, forming an impressive duo with Bradley Chubb. The 24.1 percent pressure rate Gregory compiled through the first three weeks of the season ranked second in the league among players with at least 20 pass rush snaps, according to TruMedia.
But with Gregory sidelined after his Week 4 injury and Chubb traded at the early November deadline to the Dolphins for a first-round pick — the one that ultimately helped the Broncos trade for the right to hire Payton — Denver’s pass rush became ineffective. The Broncos ranked 31st in pressure rate across the final nine games of the season. They simply couldn’t get to the quarterback, and the defense’s overall performance suffered as a result.
Training camp has revealed better depth at the position than the Broncos had last season. Though Baron Browning, a presumed starter heading into the offseason, has not participated in training camp as he recovers from knee surgery, rookie-contract players Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper have impressed with added reps. Undrafted free agents Marcus Haynes and Thomas Incoom have also had bright moments in camp, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph recently said this outside linebacker group may be the most talented top-to-bottom group he’s worked with since he began calling NFL defenses seven years ago. The Broncos also signed Frank Clark late in free agency, a player Gregory has known well since the two players entered the league together in 2015.
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“I love Frank. He’s a guy who is really going to help us in the room,” Gregory said. “He’s been to Super Bowls and he’s won ’em. He’s had 10-plus sack years. There’s a lot to like.”
There is no denying, though, that the group’s ceiling hinges on Gregory. He played in only six games last season, finishing with two sacks. He has played in more than 12 games during his career only once, and he’s missed 22 games over the last three seasons. He has unique ability as a long-armed pass rusher who can win with strength, speed and a creative approach to the position, but Gregory understands the bottom line. To make the impact the Broncos are counting on him to make, he must remain on the field.
“It sucks, you know, because you go in with an idea of what your dream is going to be like (each season) and you have your hiccups,” Gregory said. “The big thing for me is picking myself up and keep going. … My thing is fulfilling my end of the agreement and a big part of that is being able to be available and healthy. A lot of that is in the offseason, rehabbing and making sure you’re good on that end. I truly feel like if I’m out there for 17 games-plus, I’ll do what I need to do. That’s the plan.”
The Broncos have managed Gregory’s reps in practice — and have done the same for the veteran Clark — but he’s been a healthy participant throughout training camp. He saw the field for 10 snaps in Denver’s preseason opener. Even in relatively limited action, teammates have felt Gregory’s presence.
“He’s an amazing football player,” Cooper said. “He’s somebody who has been in the game for a while now. I feel like he’s a seasoned vet. He knows the game of football. As far as pass rushing, he’s explosive, fast, strong. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with. Every day I’m trying to pick up something new from him and figure out how I can apply it to my game.”
Perhaps the most important development for Gregory is his progress toward a new comfort zone in Denver. He credited the Broncos staff for “integrating” a focus on mental health into their program.
“I think a lot of people in our profession have kind of put it to the side, and I tend to do it sometimes, too,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to have that in check and focus on football.”
(Top photo: Ron Chenoy / USA TODAY Sports)
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