The Giants have managed to stock their roster with enough promising pieces to keep a few old mistakes from dominating the conversation. But one of those mistakes is getting harder to ignore.
Chauncey Golston looked like a worthwhile free-agent addition when New York handed him a three-year, $18 million deal after his strong 2024 season with the Dallas Cowboys. The contract carried $12 million in guarantees and could have climbed to $19.5 million with incentives. That extra money, though, now feels like a long shot.
Golston’s first year in New York never really got off the ground. The 28-year-old defensive lineman finished last among qualifying Giants defensive linemen in total pressures and pass-rush grade.
After putting up 5.5 sacks in his final season in Dallas, he managed just one in 2025. He held up better against the run, but the Giants never got more than a rotational player out of him.
Injuries only made things worse. A neck issue sidelined him for five games in the middle of the season, and even when he was available, he still couldn’t give the team the impact it expected when it signed him.
Now the depth chart has turned against him. Shelby Harris and Sam Roberts have both moved ahead of him, and the season-ending injury to Roy Robertson-Harris creates a path that might not have existed otherwise. Even so, Golston still has to earn his place in training camp, and with a new coaching staff in the building, nothing is locked in.
The Giants would take an $8.25 million dead cap hit if they cut him now, which may be the main reason he’s still around. But if Golston doesn’t find another gear in 2026, it’s hard to see him lasting much longer in New York.
In Other News...
Giants May Have Finally Found More Than Line Insurance In Marcus Mbow
A fifth-round rookie can get lost in the shuffle on an offensive line, but Marcus Mbow has already given the Giants something more than a body for camp depth. He logged 325 snaps over 13 games and even made three starts at both tackle spots, the kind of early versatility that matters to a team that values linemen who can move around and handle multiple jobs when the injuries start piling up.
Mbow came out of college with experience at several offensive line positions, and that background is part of why the Giants see a real developmental piece here. The starting five is mostly settled, so his cleanest path to more work may come by proving he can hold up inside as well, or by being the next man up if the lineup gets shaken. For now, he looks like a reserve worth keeping on the radar rather than just insurance on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Allen Sees One Franchise QB Trait In Jaxson Dart
Brandon Allen has spent enough time around quarterbacks to know the difference between ordinary ambition and the kind that can carry a player through the grind of an NFL season. In Jaxson Dart, the veteran sees a rookie whose passion shows up every day, along with the work ethic and competitive drive that usually separate hopefuls from long-term answers. For a young quarterback trying to establish himself in New York, that matters as much as arm talent.
What stands out to Allen is not just Darts skill set, but the emotional investment he brings to the job. He sees a player who wants to be great and feels the disappointment when things are not perfect, which can be a useful edge if it is harnessed the right way. For the Giants, that combination of talent and temperament gives Dart a foundation worth watching as his career begins to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
