Cowboys rookie likely to make debut vs. Eagles on Monday Night Football
Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive end Chauncey Golston will likely make his NFL debut this week, according to head coach Mike McCarthy.
The third-round pick out of Iowa has been working his way back from a hamstring injury. He sustained the injury on the first day of team conditioning tests before camp.
“He really looked good (in practice),” McCarthy told the media on Thursday. “Looked like he was ready to go. I hope he builds off last week’s work.”
Golston, an All-Big Ten first-team selection as a senior recorded 129 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in four seasons at Iowa. Eight and a half of those sacks came last season. That late bloom in productivity level has the Cowboys excited about his future.
“We’re getting really excited about him,” Dallas VP Stephen Jones said regarding Chauncey Golston on 105.3 The Fan. “He’s certainly come a long way in a short time. He’s making big strides and we think he’s gonna make some huge contributions for us pretty early.”
Hits keep coming for Cowboys
The Cowboys could definitely use a healthy defensive end. The first couple weeks of the season have been plagued by injury and illness.
Starting end Randy Gregory should be ready to go for Monday’s game. He made his return to the Star on Wednesday from COVID-19 protocol. Gregory missed the game Sunday versus the L.A. Chargers.
However, the Cowboys suffered another loss Wednesday. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reported 2018 fourth-round pick Dorance Armstrong suffered a high ankle sprain.
“There’s a good chance he misses all three games in this homestand, but there’s reason to believe he could return quicker than the typical 4-6 week timeframe,” Moore tweeted.
Star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is also still out for an extensive time period with a broken foot.
Armstrong stepped into a bigger role in Week 2 to replace Gregory and Lawrence, recording a tackle against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Cowboys also moved rookie Micah Parsons from linebacker to defensive end to assist. Parsons recorded a sack, two tackles and four quarterback hits in his first game at defensive end.
Gregory’s return could mean the end of Parsons’ brief stint at defensive end. The star rookie is prepared to play either role versus the Eagles.
“I like just being on the field in general,” Parsons said. “I don’t think it really matters whether it’s linebacker or D-end. I’m an every-down player.”
Now, it’ll be Golston’s opportunity to step up for the team in his debut. The game between the big NFC East rivals kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday night.