Cowboys release DT Antwaun Woods after three seasons

The draft has brought about the departure of a veteran starter in Dallas.

The Cowboys are releasing defensive tackle Antwaun Woods, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The team later confirmed the release.

The move follows an 11-pick draft for the Cowboys that included eight defensive additions. Dallas selected two defensive tackles in last week’s draft, spending a third-round pick on UCLA product Osa Odighizuwa and a sixth-round choice on Kentucky’s Quinton Bohanna. A year earlier, Dallas spent a third-round pick on Oklahoma product Neville Gallimore, who showed flashes of potential as a rookie in 2020.

In need of cap space, Dallas scanned its roster, saw its depth at defensive tackle (which also includes starter Trysten Hill) and identified a way to save some money. Releasing Woods costs the Cowboys a reliable defensive tackle, but saves them $2.13 million in 2021, which was the final year of his deal, and doesn’t add any dead cap to Dallas’ 2021 total.

Another candidate for such a release, should the Cowboys deem it necessary: receiver Cedrick Wilson, whose contract nearly mirrors Woods’ deal in that it is in its last year and doesn’t account for any dead cap. We’ll see what other moves await the Cowboys, who now have $9.6 million in cap space, per Over The Cap.