Tag: Antwaun Woods

Breaking: Cowboys waive veteran DT Antwaun Woods, release CB Smith

In a move that could be a sign of things to come, like a free agency signing, the Cowboys have waived Antwaun Woods.

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Antwaun Woods has started 32 games for the Dallas Cowboys over the last three years, playing in 39 of them. The free-agent find who was originally a UDFA with the Tennessee Titans in 2016 has been a staple of the interior of the defensive line since joining Dallas. Because of the rules of the CBA, he’s never been financially compensated for his level of performance, which was a major sticking point when he was an exclusive rights free agent in 2020.

He waited until the last minute to sign that tender in late July 2020. This year, as a restricted free agent, he did not wait. He signed the tender relatively quickly, locking himself in for a non-guaranteed base salary of $2.13 million. It appears the brass was using him as a place holder though, because following a draft haul when the club brought in three defensive linemen, the team has released Woods.

It would be a fair conversation to have if the Cowboys are clearing space to make a move on the free-agent market. Monday was the final day for any free agent to count against the compensatory pick formula and teams are likely preparing to add a veteran or two now that they know what the draft brought them in terms of projected starters and role players.

Related: 4 Veterans the Cowboys should consider signing following the draft

The Cowboys could be in that market, but had just $7.5 million of cap space in which they will have to pay their rookie class and carry space into the season for injury replacements or trades.

Woods is a 1-tech defensive tackle out of USC. He has 2.5 sacks and 80 tackles in his three seasons.

The club also released journeyman cornerback Saivion Smith, who was set to make $780,000 in 2021. Smith was not part of the team’s top 51 offseason salary cap calculation while Woods’ slot will be filled by a player moving up, meaning the actual savings on the cap will be around $1.4 million.

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Cowboys re-sign DT Antwaun Woods ahead of draft

The Cowboys added Brent Urban and Carlos Watkins to the defensive interior, now they get one of their own back by resigning Antwaun Woods.

The Dallas Cowboys were atrocious against the run in 2020, with only the Houston Texans being worse. They’ve made some moves to remedy that by signing Carlos Watkins and Brent Urban to add depth to the interior of their defensive line, and Tarell Basham on the edge.

Pretty solid additions there but the Cowboys looked to a familiar face to help their run defense in 2021 on Thursday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, defensive tackle Antwaun Woods has re-signed with the Cowboys, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus.

The Cowboys used the right of first refusal tender on Woods last month. What this means is if a player’s original team declines to match an offer sheet, then there is no draft pick compensation. In June of 2020, he signed an exclusive rights tender. That applies to players with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.

Woods has been with the Cowboys since 2018 after signing a two-year deal for $1.05 million. His first season was his best at he registered 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He’s accumulated 23 tackles in each of the last two seasons and logged another sack.

He may not bring down the quarterback a lot but he’s a solid run stuffer and should resume his role as the Cowboys starting 1-technique with Neville Gallimore and Trysten Hill rotating at the 3-technique.

Woods tweeted his disappointment in his salary last month in relation to the guys behind him on the depth chart. Now, he has an opportunity to secure a lucrative payday.

Cowboys top 5 defensive plays from 2020 (Yes, we found some)

Which were the five biggest defensive plays by EPA for the Cowboys in 2020?

The Dallas Cowboys defense was their downfall in 2020. Even when Dak Prescott was healthy and firing on all cylinders at quarterback, the defense continually let them down as their performance ranked among the worst in team history. The unit did seem to improve as the year wore on, and still managed some bright spots among a whole lot of bad.

Which were the five plays by the Dallas defense which generated the most negative EPA for opposing offenses? After highlighting the team’s five best offensive plays by EPA, and the offense’s five worst turnovers, these are the plays in which the Cowboys defense most contributed to winning. They might’ve been few and far between, but there were moments in which the defense stepped up and gave them a chance.

Honorable mentions:

EPA data via nflindex.com

Cowboys place DT Antwaun Woods on IR, ending his 2020 season

The Cowboys added starting defensive tackle Antwaun Woods to the injured reserve on Saturday.

The Dallas Cowboys 2020 season is ending in a similar fashion to how it started, with a number of key injuries. Saturday, the club added two new defenders to the Injured Reserve, including starting defensive tackle Antwaun Woods (ankle).

Woods injured his ankle in the Week 15 win over San Francisco, and was ruled out for Week 16 earlier this week before he landed on the IR, ending his regular season.

Woods took to Twitter to confirm the bad news, and let his teammates know that they have his full support for the rest of the season.

 

The undrafted Woods has spent three of his four years with Dallas, and he started 32 games over those three seasons. The former Southern California Trojan has steadily improved during his time in Dallas, and is one of the teams most consistent run stuffers.

Woods is a restricted free agent in the offseason and the Cowboys could try to retain his services going forward based on a need for quality depth at the defensive tackle position. Woods is clearly one of the leaders and emotional catalysts on this Dallas roster. You may remember Woods defending the star from a Juju Smith-Schuster touchdown celebration earlier in the season, à la George Teague and Terrell Owens.

The Cowboys interior defensive line had already been ravaged by injuries, as Gerald McCoy was lost before the season started, and second-year prospect Trysten Hill showed promise before a season-ending injury; now Woods is the latest addition to that list. DT Dontari Poe was released from the club midseason after being one of the biggest free agent signings.

With Woods out, Dallas will turn to a defensive tackle rotation primarily consisting of Neville Gallimore, Justin Hamilton, and Eli Ankou. Defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford and Aldon Smith will also slide inside and see reps at the 3-technique spot, especially on obvious passing downs.

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Wednesday Injury Report: Elliott eyes return for Cowboys as Cox, Sweat DNP for Eagles

The Cowboys have a meaningful game in Week 16 as they get set to take on the Eagles. The first injury reports are out as Elliott eyes return.

Believe it or not, Week 16 actually means something for the Dallas Cowboys. The scenario is quite simple. The Cowboys have to win out, the Washington Football Team has to lose out and the Cowboys are NFC East Champions.

In their way is the Philadelphia Eagles who come to town for an afternoon showdown in Week 16 in Arlington. The Cowboys returned to practice Wednesday and much like most weeks with a Sunday game, there is still room for improvements along the way. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (ankle) , defensive tackle Antwaun Woods (ankle), safety Xavier Woods (ribs), cornerback Rashard Robinson (knee) and tight end Blake Bell were the Cowboys not to participate at all in this week’s first practice.

Ezekiel Elliott is eyeing a return to the starting lineup after missing last week’s win as he worked on resistance training with the athletic trainer off to the side as he still deals with some soreness of his calf injury. Optimism surrounds Elliott as he assured reporters that it was looking good be in the starting lineup against the Eagles.

Wide receiver Michael Gallup exited Week 15 early with a hip pointer but it has been reported that he was a full participant in practice today and on track to play Sunday vs. the Eagles.

 

 

Speaking of the Cowboys’ opponent in Week 16, the Eagles come into this week a little hobbled as well.

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (Neck), punter Cameron Johnston (concussion), tight end Richard Rodgers (ankle), cornerback Kevon Seymour (knee) and defensive end Josh Sweat (wrist) did not practice today. Wide receiver Jalen Reagor and linebacker Duke Riley (bicep) were limited.

Cornerback Darius Slay returned to practice after finally clearing all of the necessary protocols for a concussion. Slay looks to return in Week 16.

Check back with the Cowboys Wire all week long for any updates on the statuses of some key players headed into a very big NFC East showdown.

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Cowboys LB Vander Esch questionable to return, Woods & Woods declared out

The attrition on the defensive side of the ball continues for the Dallas Cowboys.

The attrition on the defensive side of the ball continues for the Dallas Cowboys.

After starting nose tackle Antwaun Woods and safety Xavier Woods suffered injuries on the same second-quarter series, the Cowboys saw linebacker Leighton Vander Esch go down in the third with an apparent ankle injury. He left the field under his own power, but was seen being escorted into the tunnel at AT&T Stadium shortly thereafter.

The team has announced that neither Woods will return to action today. Vander Esch is listed as questionable for the rest of the Week 15 contest.

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Cowboys rookie DT Neville Gallimore shining in increased role

With Gerald McCoy out for the season and Dontari Poe now off the roster, Neville Gallimore had an opportunity to step up, and he’s doing it.

The Dallas Cowboys’ run defense has been laughable in 2020, to say the least. Much of that can be attributed to injury and simply a lack of production on the interior of the defensive line. Gerald McCoy, signed back in March, suffered a ruptured quadriceps in August; he was lost for the season and eventually released. Dontari Poe produced only seven tackles in seven games and didn’t log a single sack or quarterback hit before he was released in October.

This set up an opportunity for third-round pick Neville Gallimore to show what he could bring to the table. In the Cowboys’ tough 24-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, Gallimore graded out as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL in terms of run defense, run stops, and run stop percentage.

The Cowboys had their best outing of the year versus the run against Pittsburgh behind Gallimore’s breakout performance. They held the Steelers to only 46 yards rushing as a team on 18 attempts. Even though the Cowboys still rank 31st against the run, it was encouraging to see them render the Steelers offense so one-dimensional.

Gallimore didn’t see the field much early in the season, logging just 20 snaps in the first two games. After not recording a snap in Weeks 3 and 4, Gallimore has played at least 22 snaps in four of the last five games (17 snaps versus the Eagles in Week 8).

Gallimore’s combination of quickness and power is rare for a man who’s 6-foot-2 and 304 pounds. The duo of Gallimore and Antwaun Woods on the interior, coupled with DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory on the edge, may be the Cowboys’ best defensive line combination for the rest of the season.

The talented rookie now gets an extra week to prepare as the Cowboys are on their bye before hitting the road to face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. Gallimore will be needed more than ever. The Cowboys will be tasked with containing running back Dalvin Cook, who has rushed for nearly 400 yards and five touchdowns in his last two games.

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Week 9 Inactives, Captains: Cowboys still won’t play Anae, Robinson but Elliott to go

With the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers getting ready for kickoff in Arlington, the official inactive lists have been released.

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With the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers getting ready for kickoff in Arlington, the official inactive lists have been released. Ezekiel Elliott, after going through a closely monitored pregame workout routine, is indeed active despite being limited in practice throughout the week. He has yet to miss a game due to injury in his career.

There was some thought that the soft tank would be on for a team that has nothing meaningful to play for the rest of the year, but the team apparently hasn’t reached that point yet, though that could change. The official inactive list can be seen below:

Linebacker Joe Thomas is out with a wrist injury despite returning to practice, though in a limited fashion, on Friday. It will presumably be Sean Lee who fills his shoes.

Defensive end Aldon Smith, who has been dealing with an ailing knee for a couple of weeks will be available for use, though it’s possible he’s on a limited pitch count with Randy Gregory on the gameday roster. Rookie defensive back Reggie Robinson is still not able to get onto the active roster so far this year. The fourth-round pick has been healthy but a scratch all season. Likewise, fifth-round DE Bradlee Anae is inactive as well.

For the Steelers, Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu is out, though that had been reported earlier in the week, which will give the interior of the Dallas line a bit of a break. His replacement is rookie Carlos Davis, a seventh-round pick out of Nebraska.

Week 9 Captains

Meanwhile, the choices for captains for the Cowboys must be getting slim, because it’s a ragtag bunch of players getting the nod this week. Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, defensive tackle Antwaun Woods and C.J. Goodwin make up that crew.

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Tyrone Crawford activated from PUP, on 1st-team DL with Aldon Smith

The Cowboys unveiled personnel changes and debuted new faces along their defensive line at the first practice of training camp on Friday.

Football is back. Granted, guys are wearing shorts and no pads. There are pop-up tents next to the field for cold popsicles and Gatorade breaks. Most of the hitting is being done on tackling dummies; quarterbacks are wearing bright red jerseys so they don’t get touched at all.

But no matter. The Dallas Football Cowboys are officially back at work.

Friday’s first team practice gave assembled media members an early look at the 2020 roster, and the first glimpse of a revamped defensive line that bore little resemblance to the 2019 unit.

Tyrone Crawford played sparingly last season and was ultimately shelved by hip injuries after just three tackles in four games. Today, he was back on the practice field, having passed his physical and being activated from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.

With newly-acquired Dontari Poe still nursing a quad injury, Crawford reportedly got in some work at Poe’s defensive tackle slot next to Gerald McCoy.

That shuffling left an opening opposite DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end. Aldon Smith, welcome back to the NFL.

Reinstated after nearly five full years out of the league, Smith, a former first-round draft pick, reportedly looked very good in Friday’s session, taking first-team reps, batting a Dak Prescott pass into the air, and almost coming away with the interception.

Everson Griffen, signed late Wednesday, still needs to pass two consecutive COVID tests before he can join his new teammates on the practice field. That could happen early next week.

It’s a lot of new faces for just one position group. It can only help that most of the Cowboys players are living at the hotel right next door to the practice facility.

“We don’t have a long training camp,” Lawrence said, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, explaining that the impromptu players’ bubble was a team decision. “Need to make sure we get that commitment and friendship and chemistry.”

Lawrence maintains that five hours of practice per day isn’t sufficient for proper team-building with the new guys. But for Cowboys fans everywhere, the fact that the players are even back at practice at all is welcome news indeed.

And along the Dallas defensive line, there is new and improved hope for something good. Maybe very, very good.

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Cowboys News: Elliott a primary focus, Prescott’s agent leaves CAA, defensive rookie impact

Will there be a shift in Prescott’s representation in the next round of negotiations? Where does Elliott fit in McCarthy’s O?

New Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy has a three-headed monster at wide receiver but reiterated on Friday his stance from when he first got hired what Ezekiel Elliott’s role would be. Dak Prescott’s agent Todd France has parted ways with CAA and it could affect future contract negotiations if the Cowboys signal-caller stays with the agency.

The Cowboys filled several holes defensively through the NFL Draft, but just how much will they be able to contribute in Year 1? Antwaun Woods signed his ERFA tender, but with several additions at defensive tackle through free agency and the draft, will he be the odd man out? How an aggressive offense will help the Cowboys defense, whether or not the 2020 season is Sean Lee’s last, and how Isaac Alarcon Garcia used the NFL’s International Player Pathway program in Florida to make it to the pros are covered in the news and notes.

From conservative to explosive: How an aggressive Cowboys offense will also help their defense :: Blogging The Boys

Mike McCarthy has all the tools offensively to help the Cowboys revamped defense be successful this season.

Cowboys defensive rookie breakdown: How much help will they bring this season :: Blogging The Boys

Trevon Diggs, Neville Gallimore, Bradlee Anae, and Reggie Robinson bring youth and versatility to the Cowboys defense, but how much will it help in 2020?

Cowboys’ Isaac Alarcon rides NFL international program on journey from Mexico :: ESPN

After having surgery to remove a benign cyst in his back Isaac Alarcon used the NFL’s International Player Pathway program to make it to the pros.

Dallas Cowboys: Is this Sean Lee’s last season in the NFL? :: The Landry Hat

Could over a decade of abuse on his body mean the 2020 season is Sean Lee’s swan song?

Little’s gone as planned for Mike McCarthy. Now he tries to bring the Cowboys together while keeping them safely apart :: Dallas Morning News

The current COVID-19 pandemic has halted the start of Mike McCarthy’s coaching tenure in Dallas. Now, with new safety protocols in place, he’s trying to keep his new team together as much as possible.

Mike McCarthy dishes on Dallas Cowboys camp, says Ezekiel Elliott will get his touches :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

New head coach Mike McCarthy talks about Amari Cooper’s three 1,000-yard receiver comment, working with Kellen Moore, and how Ezekiel Elliott will be a primary focus this season.

If Jerry Rice is the greatest WR of all time, then Emmitt Smith is also the greatest RB of all time :: Blogging The Boys

Danny Phantom breaks down how with the most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in league history Emmitt Smith should be considered is the greatest running back of all-time.

Will DT Antwaun Woods Be Apart Of 2020 Dallas Cowboys? :: Inside The Star

After adding Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, and Neville Gallimore to the defensive line will there be enough snaps for Antwaun Woods?

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