Gregory the latest in a long line of NFL prospects with off-field issues

The Steelers are in desperate need of a pass rusher in the draft next month. They will probably select one in the first two rounds and there is a school of thought that an outside linebacker is more important in their defense than cornerback, the other position of great need for the team.

One of the top outside linebackers in the draft could fall down draft boards in the wake of his revelation earlier today that he failed a marijuana test at the NFL scouting combine last month. Randy Gregory of Nebraska, considered by most analysts to be among the top three pass rushers in the draft, told NFL Media today that he tested positive for marijuana.

The way Gregory explained it to Kim Jones of the NFL Network this news didn’t catch anyone in the NFL by surprise. He laid out his past issues with the drug with Jones but said he is “in a good place now.”

Some of the admissions in there are revealing about his past history with the drug and it will be a big red flag for NFL teams as they try to decide where to place Gregory on their draft boards.

Former Pitt and NFL defensive back Louis Riddick, who worked in NFL personnel departments for years before joining ESPN, gave some insight this morning on the subject on the “Mike and Mike Radio Show.”

“General managers will tell you if you fail a drug test at the combine you got a big, big problem or you’re awfully stupid,” Riddick said.

The reason for this is players know they will be tested at the combine. Steelers offensive lineman Mike Adams tested positive for marijuana at the combine in 2012. Like Gregory, Adams was proactive and drove to Pittsburgh on his own to meet with the Steelers in an effort to convince them he didn’t have a problem.

Adams fell down draft boards because of his positive test, and the Steelers selected him in the second round. He is entering his fourth season. There have not been any reports of Adams failing another drug test in the NFL, but he has encountered off-the-field issues, including the incident when he was stabbed outside a South Side bar in 2013.

Many players over the years have tested positive for drugs at the combine. Some have gone onto Hall of Fame careers while others have endured problems with drug use.

Twenty years ago, the New York Times published a story that Warren Sapp had tested positive for cocaine and marijuana at the combine. Sapp and his agent disputed the report, and Sapp was drafted No. 12 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here are the 11 players selected before Sapp: Ki-Jana Carter, Tony Boselli, Steve McNair, Michael Westbrook, Kerry Collins, Kevin Carter, Mike Mamula, Joey Galloway, Kyle Brady, J.J. Stokes and Derrick Alexander.

(BLOG ASIDE: There were two future hall of famers drafted in the first round in 1995. Tampa Bay also got Derrick Brooks with the No. 28 overall pick, one slot ahead of the Steelers, who selected tight end Mark Bruener).

Sapp is one of the many reasons why teams gamble on players with off-field issues. Not that Sapp is some kind of model human, but he was able to thrive in the league for 13 years without drugs being a problem for him.

But for every Sapp there are tales of woe. The Cleveland Browns gambled that Josh Gordon would overcome his past issues with drugs when they took him in the second round of the supplemental draft in 2012. Gordon has failed drug tests repeatedly and is now in danger of being banned from the league if he fails another drug test.

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez failed multiple drug tests at the University of Florida. He fell all the way to the fourth round because of his history with drugs. He played well for the Patriots for four seasons, but he is currently on trial for murder.

Gregory will write his own tale in the NFL. He may or may not become the next Josh Gordon, but some general manager out there will gamble big-time on him becoming the next Warren Sapp.