Breaking: Cowboys waive veteran DT Antwaun Woods, release CB Smith
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.
Cowboys are waiving starting defensive tackle Antwaun Woods, per source. They drafted two defensive tackles last weekend, and now Woods is a salary-cap casualty.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 5, 2021
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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