Cowboys’ 2025 free agent profile: DE Chauncey Golston

The Dallas Cowboys have an extended record of free brokers who will formally hit the open market in a bit over two months. Of these, six or seven have been important contributors in 2024, that means the Cowboys have some troublesome choices forward of them within the subsequent two months.

We proceed our free agent profile sequence by having a look at a participant coming off a career-year, defensive finish Chauncey Golston.

Picture by Cooper Neill/Getty Photos

2024 Common Season Stats: 17G, 37 Complete Pressures, 36 Tackles, 30 Defensive Stops, 28 QB Hurries, 7.0 Sacks, 2 QB Hits

12 months Evaluation: After dropping each Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. in free company, there was loads of stress on Cowboys’ defensive finish Chauncey Golston to carry out in 2024. The stress solely received extra important at the beginning of coaching camp when edge rusher Sam Williams went down with a season-ending harm, leaving Dallas’ pass-rush group very skinny.

Golston didn’t do a lot by the primary 4 video games of the 2024 common season, however issues took a flip after that. Throughout Dallas’ Week 4 matchup towards the New York Giants, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence suffered severe accidents. With each out for the foreseeable future, Golston was thrust into the beginning lineup as a full-time defensive finish.

For the primary time in his Cowboys’ profession, Golston was capable of stick to at least one spot on the line of defense and never continually transfer inside and outside. This labored to the 26-year-old’s benefit, as he put collectively his greatest season as a professional. Golston completed the common season with a career-high seven sacks, tied for the second-most on the Cowboys’ protection. He additionally recorded two or extra pressures in 9 of Dallas’ remaining 13 common season video games, recording 5 in a single recreation 3 times.

Golston stepped up when Dallas desperately wanted him to and confirmed some pass-rush potential we had not seen from him throughout his first three years within the league. The previous third-round choice picked a wonderful time for a profession 12 months as he heads into free company wanting like a succesful pass-rusher who might assist many groups.

Free Company Outlook: Golston’s efficiency in 2024 will possible have a major affect on his free agent market. Groups are all the time seeking to improve their move rush, and in a free-agent class with few succesful pass-rushers, Golston could also be a sizzling commodity.

The 26-year-old posted comparable numbers to what former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong did earlier than he signed a three-year, $33M contract with the Washington Commanders final offseason. Regardless of the similarity in contract-year efficiency, Golston possible gained’t come near what Armstrong received in free company, just because Armstrong had a number of years of constantly strong efficiency on his résumé, whereas Golston has only one.

Nonetheless, there’s a good likelihood Golston will safe a multi-year deal on the open market. One participant whose contract might resemble the kind of deal Golston will obtain is Payments’ defensive finish A.J. Epenesa. Coming off a 6.5 sack season, the previous Iowa Hawkeye signed a two-year, $12M contract to stick with the Payments final March. Golston might have a barely smaller AAV than Epenesea, however a two-year deal value anyplace from $4-6M appears inside attain.

Cowboys Verdict: Whereas Golston was one in all Dallas’ greatest overachievers final season, retaining him possible gained’t be excessive on the Cowboys’ precedence record this offseason. Dallas has so many different important defensive gamers set to hit free company they possible gained’t need Golston again except he’s prepared to take an especially team-friendly deal.

Seemingly, the one manner Golston is again in Dallas subsequent season is that if he’s prepared to signal a deal much like the one Dante Fowler Jr. signed with Dallas again within the 2023 offseason (one-year, $3M). If Golston is seeking to safe a multi-year deal, which he possible will probably be, there’s a great likelihood it gained’t come from Dallas.

It’s unlucky that the Cowboys solely received to make use of Golston as a full-time pass-rusher in his stroll 12 months, nevertheless it’s extra possible than not they showcased him for his subsequent crew, and his time in Dallas has come to an finish.

Prediction: Chauncey Golston indicators a two-year, $12M cope with the Cincinnati Bengals