While the Giants are 0-2 once again to start the season, there is a lot to be excited about moving forward. The offense is finally trending in the right direction, and the pass rush is as good as advertised. Plus, Malik Nabers is turning into a superstar at receiver, and Wan’Dale Robinson is finally being used correctly.
But there was one offseason move that the Giants made that already looks like a mistake. And that was signing free-agent defensive end Chauncey Golston to a deal this offseason. Golston signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract during free agency, and while it’s only been two games, that move looks like a poor one in hindsight.
The Giants shouldn’t have signed Chauncey Golston
The move to sign Golston made some sense for the Giants this offseason, as he is a versatile defensive end who can kick inside on obvious pass-rushing downs. However, Golston was like a low-end starter, high-level backup, and he just isn’t seeing the field very often.
Golston played just 11 snaps in Week 1 and did not register a single stat in that contest. And then in Week 2, facing his former team, Golston played just 21 of a possible 89 defensive snaps in Dallas. According to Pro Football Reference, he has not registered a single pressure yet and has tallied just two tackles in two games.
The more concerning issue for Golston is that Elijah Garcia, an undrafted free agent from Rice, has been getting more snaps and opportunities, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him pass Golston on the depth chart. Both players are fighting to be the fourth EDGE rusher on the team, and the Giants were certainly hoping to get more out of Golston after paying him decent money this offseason.
Golston is the 59th-highest paid EDGE rusher in the NFL, which doesn’t sound like he’s overpaid. But he’s being paid to be a low-end starter, high-end backup and the Giants just haven’t gotten anything close to that so far. While it’s still early in the season, Golston just doesn’t seem like a great fit in this defense, and it remains to be seen if his role will increase at all over the next few months.
Every team goes through buyer’s remorse at some point in free agency, and it’s fair to wonder if the Giants feel that way here after two weeks. Golston just hasn’t been an impact player at all for New York, and that’s not good for a player who makes over $6 million a year. There are times when you don’t even know that he’s out on the field, which is why this already feels like a huge mistake.