The Dallas Cowboys have a long list of free agents who will officially hit the open market in a little over two months. Of those, six or seven were significant contributors in 2024, meaning the Cowboys have some difficult decisions ahead of them in the next two months.
We continue our free agent profile series by taking a look at a player coming off a career-year, defensive end Chauncey Golston.
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Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
2024 Regular Season Stats: 17G, 37 Total Pressures, 36 Tackles, 30 Defensive Stops, 28 QB Hurries, 7.0 Sacks, 2 QB Hits
Year Review: After losing both Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency, there was plenty of pressure on Cowboys’ defensive end Chauncey Golston to perform in 2024. The pressure only got more significant at the start of training camp when edge rusher Sam Williams went down with a season-ending injury, leaving Dallas’ pass-rush group very thin.
Golston did not do much through the first four games of the 2024 regular season, but things took a turn after that. During Dallas’ Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence suffered serious injuries. With both out for the foreseeable future, Golston was thrust into the starting lineup as a full-time defensive end.
For the first time in his Cowboys’ career, Golston was able to stick to one spot on the defensive line and not constantly move inside and out. This worked to the 26-year-old’s advantage, as he put together his best season as a pro. Golston finished the regular season with a career-high seven sacks, tied for the second-most on the Cowboys’ defense. He also recorded two or more pressures in nine of Dallas’ final 13 regular season games, recording five in a single game three times.
Golston stepped up when Dallas desperately needed him to and showed some pass-rush ability we had not seen from him during his first three years in the league. The former third-round selection picked an excellent time for a career year as he heads into free agency looking like a capable pass-rusher who could help many teams.
Free Agency Outlook: Golston’s performance in 2024 will likely have a significant impact on his free agent market. Teams are always looking to upgrade their pass rush, and in a free-agent class with few capable pass-rushers, Golston may be a hot commodity.
The 26-year-old posted comparable numbers to what former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong did before he signed a three-year, $33M contract with the Washington Commanders last offseason. Despite the similarity in contract-year performance, Golston likely won’t come close to what Armstrong got in free agency, simply because Armstrong had multiple years of consistently solid performance on his résumé, while Golston has just one.
Still, there is a good chance Golston will secure a multi-year deal on the open market. One player whose contract may resemble the type of deal Golston will receive is Bills’ defensive end A.J. Epenesa. Coming off a 6.5 sack season, the former Iowa Hawkeye signed a two-year, $12M contract to stay with the Bills last March. Golston may have a slightly smaller AAV than Epenesea, but a two-year deal worth anywhere from $4-6M seems within reach.
Cowboys Verdict: While Golston was one of Dallas’ biggest overachievers last season, retaining him likely won’t be high on the Cowboys’ priority list this offseason. Dallas has so many other significant defensive players set to hit free agency they likely won’t want Golston back unless he’s willing to take an extremely team-friendly deal.
Likely, the only way Golston is back in Dallas next season is if he is willing to sign a deal similar to the one Dante Fowler Jr. signed with Dallas back in the 2023 offseason (one-year, $3M). If Golston is looking to secure a multi-year deal, which he likely will be, there’s a good chance it won’t come from Dallas.
It’s unfortunate that the Cowboys only got to use Golston as a full-time pass-rusher in his walk year, but it’s more likely than not they showcased him for his next team, and his time in Dallas has come to an end.
Prediction: Chauncey Golston signs a two-year, $12M deal with the Cincinnati Bengals
