How long will it take the San Francisco 49ers to get new edge rusher Randy Gregory up to speed and ready to play?
Apparently, less than 48 hours is all they need.
The 49ers acquired Gregory from the Denver Broncos in a trade Friday. The 30-year-old veteran had fallen out of favor after two seasons in Denver, and now gets a fresh start in San Francisco.
That new start could come as soon as Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, the team that drafted Gregory in the second round in 2015.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan did not guarantee Gregory would play Sunday, but didn’t rule out the possibility.
“I don’t want to give our secrets away. There’s a chance,” Shanahan said (via Pro Football Talk).
Coincidentally, Shanahan noted that he really took note of Gregory two years ago when the 49ers and Cowboys met. The coach said the 49ers did not hesitate to grab him when he became available.
“Just playing against him over our career, two years ago when we played him up there in Dallas, he was as good of a rusher as we’d gone against,” Shanahan said. “And just the fact that we had an opportunity that he was available, being able to add a guy like that, we feel he’ll make our team better and so we didn’t hesitate to do it.”
Gregory was not available for comment after the trade, but he has to be pleased. The Broncos have been a disaster this season, while the 49ers are Super Bowl contenders.
“He seems fired up,” Shanahan said. “Our team’s fired up. Even the guys that didn’t know him, they’re aware of him from playing against him. I know how excited our O-line was when they found out too.”
The 49ers landed Gregory cheap, exchanging sixth- and seventh-round picks with the Broncos. Denver is also on the hook for Gregory’s $14 million salary, with the 49ers paying him the league veteran minimum.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.