When the 2019 offseason began, fans of the Dallas Cowboys were clamoring for the club to reach out and sign a star free agent at the safety position. Some wanted to pair Earl Thomas with Jeff Heath, but those in the know were looking to have Thomas added to a defensive secondary that still included Xavier Woods, a potential breakout star who was coming into his own.
Thomas didn’t join the club, and Woods may not have had the Pro Bowl season many predicted for him, but he had a solid season that proved he belonged in the starting lineup at the free safety position. For the second straight year, Woods started every game he played, 15 in 2019, and for his integral role with the Cowboys, he’s earned a big jump in his pay. As a former sixth-round pick, Woods has excelled past what the CBA projected for him, and thusly earned $403,298 the fourth-largest performance-based increase for last season.
He also earned another $212,457 from the veteran pool, bumping his 2019 salary from $645,000 to over $1.2 million.
To get these numbers, the NFL takes a player’s regular-season playtime (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) and divides by his adjusted regular season compensation (full season salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives). Each player’s index is then compared to those of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his pay.
None of these amounts count against the salary cap.
Woods led all Cowboys’ DBs with 1,112 total snaps, including 997 on defense, 90.7% of the team’s defensive snaps. He tied for the team lead with two interceptions and also with two forced fumbles.
Woods is now eligible for a contract extension, having been in the league for three seasons and entering the final year of his rookie deal.
The NFL has only released the top 25 names for now, the full look at all who received bonus pay will be released soon.
As a side note, former camp body Charvarius Ward, who was traded for a player who retired a week later, won a Super Bowl with Kansas City and tops the chart for this year’s bumps. Good thing Dallas won’t need a cornerback soon.
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