The Dallas Cowboys are just days removed from the 2021 NFL Draft, and they’ve already been busy making tough decisions, in particular with a few defensive players. On Monday, they decided not to pick up the fifth-year option on Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, meaning he’ll be playing for a new contract this season.
Early on Wednesday morning, the Cowboys decided on another veteran on the team, Defensive Tackle Antwaun Woods. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys are waiving the former undrafted free agent after resigning him a few weeks ago.
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 logged 32 starts in 39 career games with the Cowboys.
In the NFL Draft, the Cowboys added help on the interior of their defensive line with Osa Odighizuwa in the third round and Quinton Bohanna in the sixth round. Also, they added Brent Urban and Carlos Watkins in free agency.
Woods didn’t bring down the quarterback much but he was a pretty good run defender and an anchor at the 1-technique. However, those duties will now rest on the shoulders of Urban and Bohanna, and occasionally Neville Gallimore who can slide over from the 3-technique as the Cowboys try to improve on the league’s second-worst run defense in 2020.
