Why was Gregory missing from OTAs? It could be contract related IMO. After all, when a player goes missing either they are on a drug binge or more likely it's related to the contract situation. But Gregory just signed a new one, so what's the problem?
SR in his Pewter Pulse stated that with the drafting of Braswell (which was hardly unexpected that they drafted an edge rusher) Gregory could be somewhere farther down on the depth chart and may not even be needed at the end of the day. But if you look at the incentives on his contract they are based on playing 40 or 50% of the snaps. That doesn't seem very likely at this point. The PR article when Gregory was signed compared Gregory's signing to that of Shaq Barrett, but Barrett was a starter. With Diaby and Braswell set to be at the top of the depth chart, that puts Gregory in the back seat, a place where perhaps he wasn't expecting to be at the start of camp.
Gregory probably had more than one contract offer and chose the Bucs. Perhaps he was sold on the Barrett narrative, but he was really just an insurance policy in case the draft didn't fall the Bucs way for an edge rusher. Perhaps the veteran is not interested in being a bench warmer fighting for a roster spot on cutdown day.
It's a mystery why Gregory didn't show up, but the prime suspect is the contract.
while i hardly consider marijuana a hard drug, the dude was suspended like 4 times for the use so he clearly has an addiction.
can't imagine it's contract related as he just signed it a couple months ago, albeit, maybe he signed the contract sober...and when he was high he realized he deserved more?
can't imagine the bucs drafting a back-up edge rusher in Braswell being an issue. The starting gig is there for Gregory to have as he has to compete with "out of the league in 3 years JTR", a 3rd round rookie last year in Diaby and a rookie this year for 2 spots.
much likely that he gets cut and this is is retirement swan song however.
It could have something to do with the testing he has to do, since he's suing the Broncos for fines he's received for positive THC tests. But for THC it's only a fine, and he's forfeiting money for missing the OTA. I find it hard to believe with all the issues that Gregory is going through relating the testing that the Bucs and Gregory didn't have some kind of meeting of the minds about how that issue wouid be approached by both sides. Most players are not tested during the offseason by league rules, but I don't know what testing Gregory has to do if he's in the testing program. But please I find it hard to believe that there would be any presumption that Gregory was not going to partake in that activity any more. Come on. That defies logic.
As for Braswell, I expect him to be firmly planted in the starting lineup from Day 1 alongside Diaby. Gregory is a backup. Barring a major injury to the starters there's no way he'll meet his incentives.
