Will Randy Gregory’s health limit his impact for Broncos?

This offseason, the Denver Broncos decided to go all-in in their hopes to make a major leap in the AFC West—like every single other team. In the process, the cornerstone deal was a blockbuster trade for quarterback Russell Wilson, but other moves also pointed to a win-now mentality. That included the significant signing of former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory.

Gregory’s arrival in the West was part of a major influx of pass-rushing talent into the division, as the likes of Chandler Jones and Khalil Mack also joined a division that included Bradley Chubb, Maxx Crosby, Chris Jones, and Joey Bosa. That’s not to mention the Kansas City Chiefs’ edge duo of George Karlaftis and Frank Clark.

Gregory was the new anchor, giving Chubb a partner across from him to help fill the void of having traded Von Miller in the middle of the 2021 season. Gregory landed a five-year deal worth up to $70 million, and Denver gave him $28 million guaranteed.

Randy Gregory was supposed to be a big addition for Denver but no one is quite sure when he’ll be ready to return for camp and beyond.

Here’s the thing: Gregory underwent arthroscopic on his shoulder/rotator cuff back in March and has been missing ever since. Nick Kosmider of The Athletic noted that Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett has “been evasive” when it comes to answering questions about Gregory’s timeline. The brow-raising insight makes you wonder just how “significant” this signing might end up being.

After all, Gregory is now 30 years old and coming off of rotator cuff surgery. He’s never played more than 55 percent of snaps in a given season (last year), and he’s only played in 22 of 33 games since 2020. Even more, Gregory has never had more than 6 sacks in a given season.

All of this is not to say that Gregory won’t be a positive addition for the Broncos and maybe even this year, but of all the teams in the West who are going to have the most trouble making the hoped-for leap, it’s likely Denver. Wilson is a big piece of the puzzle, but the defense has to have answers for the high-octane offenses within the West and Gregory is a major piece up front.

If Gregory is not ready to go by the beginning of the season or finds himself struggling through yet another injury, his spotty record could follow him to Denver and turn into an early swing-and-miss for a new leadership regime.