The Dallas Cowboys have spent their off-season adding to their defense; specifically their defensive line. Two of their three key free-agent acquisitions along with multiple draft picks have the Cowboys looking at a much improved unit in 2020. Possibly getting lost amongst the addition to the new pieces is returning defensive tackle Antwaun Woods.
Technically, Woods is a still a free agent. As an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) he can’t sign anywhere else this off-season and it is expected he’ll sign his tender soon which will pay him the non-guaranteed league minimum. Next year, he will be a restricted free agent (RFA) which doesn’t favor Woods at all as he’s already 27 years old and has limited opportunity to earn a big payday before his prime years have passed. For all of the discussion about salaries being out of control, Woods is a poster child for why raising league minimum salaries was a key element in the most recent CBA barely passing.
He’s also a poster child for how quickly opportunity could be lost. With the club adding two free agents and a draft pick at defensive tackle, Woods finds himself in a tough situation. None of the excitement Woods created with a stellar 2018 campaign remains after a lackluster 2019. It likely wasn’t regression though, as the injury bug sapped his ability to be a big-play guy like he was down the stretch in 2018.
Good hand combating from Demarcus to clear pads and get around the corner. Antwaun Woods with the interception #DallasCowboys #DALvsNYG pic.twitter.com/9Q0DBYYA1l
— Joel Bishop (@JoelBishopFB) December 30, 2018
Antwaun Woods (@AntwaunWoods_) blows up the screen Cowboys (@dallascowboys) and Seahawks (@Seahawks) wild card game playoffs. This guy is so underrated as a defensive tackle he has impressed me for sure. Video credit goes to (@ToddHebert) here on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/c3MkHSiyFo
— ✭ 🤠 Cowboy X Factor (@CowboyXFactor) January 9, 2019
2019 was a string of injuries for Woods, however. The Cowboys followed the wild-card win over Seattle with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, where Dallas was gouged in the run game by Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson for over 200 yards. It turns out Woods played that game with a torn shoulder labrum that required surgery.
During this past regular season, he was able to suit up in just 10 of the Cowboys’ 16 games. Midway through the Week 2 contest against Washington, Woods hurt his knee when Maliek Collins rolled up on the back of his leg, spraining his MCL. He would miss the next three contests and didn’t seem right for several games to follow.
Woods then suffered another knee injury against the Patriots in Week 11, forcing him to miss the next two contests, and proving he wasn’t healthy when he returned, he sat out the meaningless finale against Washington.
In his 10 contest he was able to rack up 23 tackles, 11 solo. He didn’t get to the quarterback to register any sacks but did have bursts of impact. He managed to see the field on 310 snaps which represented about 29 percent of the Cowboys defensive plays in 2019.
Antwaun Woods was on the field for 6 run plays and made stops on 4 of them. Here, he does an excellent job straining to regain the play-side A-gap while use his length to maintain the separation necessary to get off the block and make the tackle. pic.twitter.com/VVZC4MGLYn
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) December 17, 2019
As Dallas Morning News writer John Owning describes though, there was inconsistency in his play.
However, Woods lacked consistency, as he was just as likely to get displaced out his gap as he was to penetrate and disrupt. Woods also struggled mightily against double teams, which isn’t great given that a nose tackle’s first job requirement is to demand and absorb double teams in an effort to give the linebackers a chance to pursue without being immediately encumbered by blockers. When you add in Woods’ inability to make an impact as a pass-rusher, his inconsistency against the run became a bigger and bigger issue upfront.
And now this year, Woods has competition. New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan prefers more stout defensive linemen, and with the limited play Woods was able to put on film in 2019, the new staff likely wouldn’t be enthusiastic. With the signing of behemoth defensive tackle Dontari Poe and a multifaceted Gerald McCoy, Woods finds himself in a larger rotation than years past.
That was before the club selected Oklahoma nose tackle Neville Gallimore in the third round this past draft. The staff is so high on him, they considered taking him in the second round ahead of the dire cornerback need filled by Trevon Diggs.
Not to mention, Tyrone Crawford who plays up-and-down the defensive line is returning from his almost full year off due to his own injury. The Cowboys will also factor in second-year defensive tackle Trysten Hill who in his own right is looking for a rebound season after a relatively quiet rookie campaign. Depth is good to have on the defensive line, especially on the interior, but for Woods in 2020, he will have to be playing at an elite level to see the field.
According to CBS Sports writer, Patrik Walker, Woods is going to have to show he has the most upside out of the other men at his position on the Cowboys depth chart to make this team in September. His position on the 2020 Dallas Cowboys also relies heavily on the reinstatement of Randy Gregory as well.
There’s no mistaking the impact Woods can make when healthy and fresh, and an opportunity to work with new defensive line coach Jim Tomsula shouldn’t be overlooked. The numbers game indicate that he’ll have to prove himself in a major way in training camp.
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