The New York Giants have been very active in NFL free agency so far, agreeing to terms with several veteran reinforcements. One reported addition even caught the attention of Dallas Cowboys superstar pass rusher and NFC East rival Micah Parsons.
“😖😖 dam,” Parsons reacted on X, after the Giants swiped former Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston — a direct teammate of Parsons’ — from Dallas on the evening of March 10.
Per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, “Golston is signing with the Giants on a three-year, $19.5 million deal.”
As is the case with all new reported signings that occur within the legal tampering period, this move will not become official until Wednesday, March 12.
New Giants EDGE/DL Chauncey Golston Profiles as Azeez Ojulari Replacement
It’s unclear if the Giants plan to use Golston more at outside linebacker or on the defensive line, being that their system is different from the Cowboys’ 4-3 scheme. For now, he appears to be a more affordable Azeez Ojulari replacement behind Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The Athletic ranked Golston (age 27) as their 131st best free agent in 2025, weighing in at 6-foot-5 and 268 pounds.
“Golston, a 2021 third-round pick, is a good player who flashed more than a few times in extended opportunities because of the Cowboys’ run of injuries at defensive end,” The Athletic staff scouted ahead of free agency. “Built a bit more like a defensive tackle, he does not have the strength to move there full-time, but he did flash at times as an interior rusher. For the right terms, he could provide quality depth in a rotation.”
In terms of “how he fits” with Big Blue, The Athletic wrote the following:
“Golston saw plenty of work last season with the Cowboys (791 defensive snaps) as they battled injuries, starting from Week 5 onward and posting solid production. The Giants already have their starting edge players in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns, but with free agent Azeez Ojulari’s return unlikely, Golston can take over the role as the third man up in that rotation.”
Giants Community Reacts to Chauncey Golston Signing
While spelling injured stars like Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, Golston displayed a nice balance as an edge rusher with ability against the pass and the run.
“Among EDGE rushers last year, Chauncey Golston was 15th in run stops with 21,” Talkin’ Giants podcast co-host Justin Penik relayed after the move was announced. “And a run stop rate of 6.8% (21st). Not too bad!”
Penik’s partner in crime, Bobby Skinner of Talkin’ Giants, also provided a brief scouting report on X, focusing more on his pass rushing ability.
“2024: 56 tackles 5.5 sacks 5 TFL [tackles for a loss]. 2023: 25 tackles 1.5 sacks 1 TFL. 2022: 22 tackles 1 sack 2 TFL,” Skinner began, adding: “[Golston] worked on the interior more under Dan Quinn in 2023 when his Pass Rush Win Rate was 7th of 129 DT’s. Production jumped last year with his first time as a starter.”
On that note, The Giants Report stated that “Chauncey Golston is a bigger DE who can play both inside and outside.”
“He played 496 snaps lined up as a DE and 249 as an inside DT,” the NYG fan analysis account continued. “There’s no doubt the Giants will have a package featuring Golston, [Dexter Lawrence], Kayvon [Thibodeaux], and Burns—which should be fun to watch.”
Clearly, versatility is a strength of Golston’s game and NorthJersey.com Giants insider Art Stapleton agreed that Big Blue will most likely utilize that to their advantage.
“Golston likely brings a little bit more positional flexibility up front in rush packages given his size difference (6-5, 268) compared to Azeez Ojulari (6-3, 240), being able to bounce inside and hold up physically,” he noted.
This acquisition should help shore up two positional needs in one move, making it a quality signing for general manager Joe Schoen on paper.
Reported Giants Signing Catches the Attention of Cowboys Star Micah Parsons