Story update: Before the release became official, the Broncos agreed to trade Randy Gregory to the 49ers in exchange for a late-round draft pick. See our original post below.
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News broke Wednesday that the Denver Broncos planned to release outside linebacker Randy Gregory, a surprising decision given that it will create a $16.1 million “dead money” salary cap hit in 2023.
Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about the decision after Wednesday’s practice.
“It was something that we felt was just best for our team right now,” Payton said.
Gregory was benched against the Chicago Bears last week in favor of second-year pass rusher Nik Bonitto. Denver appears content to move forward with Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning as their main pass rushers.
“We felt like with some of our younger players and where we are going, it was best for our team right now,” Payton said.
Payton said “a number of things” played a role in the team’s decision, but the only reason he specifically mentioned was performance.
“It was a number of things,” Payton said. “He played 30 snaps last week. We just felt like these other guys were playing better. It happens in this league. We want the best players possible. There was a combination of things. Those other guys stepped up, and we felt like they’re playing better.”
Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that Gregory asked for his release and the Broncos granted it after failing to find a trade partner. Payton said “no” when asked if the pass rusher asked to be cut.
“This was something we made and decided,” Payton said. “You spend a lot of time on decisions like this. Like I said, we felt that it was best for our team.”
Gregory, 30, totaled three sacks in 10 games (six starts) out of a possible 21 games over the last two years in Denver. He was a big free agency bust signing for Broncos general manager George Paton.
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