Some breaking news coming out of the NFL on Friday as linebacker and defensive end Randy Gregory has been traded to the San Francisco 49ers. The Denver Broncos are sending the veteran defensive player to the 49ers after it was reported earlier in the week that Denver was looking for a trade partner or would release him. Here is a look at the trade, what the 49ers will have to pay, and what it means for San Francisco.
The Randy Gregory Trade
The news was released by Tom Pelissero on X. Of course, the first thing to discuss is what the actual trade was. The Broncos are, of course, sending Gregory in addition to a 2024 seventh-round draft pick. The 49ers are sending the Broncos a 2024 sixth-round draft pick. This is a low-risk trade for the 49ers, sending just a late-round pick. As for the Broncos, they were going to release Gregory anyway and now moving up in the draft in terms of the late picks.
Former Broncos OLB/DE Randy Gregory (5) – Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Randy Gregory’s Contract
The trade itself was low-risk for the 49ers, but there was concern about how much Gregory would cost. For the 2023 season, Gregory has a base salary of $14 million but already earned $3.9 million. That means there is still $10.1 million left for him to be paid in 2023. It was later confirmed by Pro Football Talk that the Broncos would be picking up the remainder of his base salary. The 49ers only need to pay him the vet minimum, $840,000. This is also the last year of Gregory’s guaranteed money, giving the 49ers an out if that is what they would prefer.
This is a safe trade for the 49ers, giving up just a sixth-rounder and only having to pay him the vet minimum. If this does not work out, it would not hurt the team in terms of cost. They made the trade so another team would not pick him up first, and they get solid defensive depth out of it.
Former Broncos DE/OLB Randy Gregory (5) – Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages
Randy Gregory’s Impact on the 49ers
To make room for Gregory, the 49ers have released Kerry Hyder. Drake Jackson will most likely remain the starter on the opposite side of Bosa, but with how often the line rotates, Gregory will get playing time. The team could still use him as a linebacker if they need him, but it does appear they plan to use Gregory on the defensive line.
If he plays the way he has in the past, this is more than just a depth piece; it is a solid player to rotate in. Gregory was a part of three games this season, totaling nine combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Reference. He also has one sack and one pass deflection. This is all with not getting much playing time.
In his career so far, Gregory has 19.5 sacks, 61 quarterbacks, ten forced fumbles, and even one interception. While he has been in the league since 2015, he is only 30 years old, turning 31 in November. Gregory does have a history of suspensions in the league. In 2016, he was suspended for 14 games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He was suspended for the entire 2017 season, two games in 2018, and the entire 2019 season. He also was suspended for the entire 2020 season.
Former Cowboys DE/OLB Randy Gregory (5) – Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Shanahan was asked about the history of suspensions and did understand that was an issue. He looked at it from an on-the-field perspective and loves what he can do. The good news is that the 49ers did not give up a lot and do not have to pay him much. If something were to happen, it would not hurt the team too much. As a person, players on the team did speak highly of him, according to Cam Inman on X. Hopefully Gregory can stay on the field and be a solid player on this 49ers defensive line.
While the trade has been made official by San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan has already confirmed that Gregory will not be available to play against the Dallas Cowboys during Sunday Night Football. He has landed in Santa Clara and will be set to face the Cleveland Browns in two weeks. This is a low-risk, potentially high-reward trade for the 49ers, and it will be fun to see how this pans out.
