5 things the Cowboys must do after signing Dak Prescott
By Connor Green
3. Re-sign Xavier Woods
The Dallas Cowboys secondary was pitiful last season. The unit struggled to force turnovers, a struggle that carried over from the 2019 season. Dallas was also one of only seven teams to allow opposing passers to have a passer rating above 100.
Needless to say, one of the teams’ biggest needs in free agency is to find competent play at the cornerback and safety position. The team also has a handful of noteworthy free agents in the unit this offseason including cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and safety Xavier Woods.
Considering the fact that Dallas will likely not be able to target premier free agents at these positions given their cap situation the team will be forced to either target less expensive options in free agency or fill these needs in the draft.
Fortunately, this years’ draft does have a handful of very highly rated cornerbacks who could instantly improve the teams’ secondary. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the safety position.
That leaves Dallas with limited options to fill their need at the safety position. However, the team could re-sign its young safety Xavier Woods to a relatively inexpensive contract and still target a safety in the later rounds of the draft to bolster depth at the position.
Woods, like most of the Dallas defense, had a disappointing season in 2020. The former sixth-round pick failed to nab an interception for the first time in his short career and posted a career-low one pass deflection. However, the young safety also managed to finish with the second-most total tackles on the team with 72.
The 25-year old has also demonstrated his durability during his first four years in the league and has played at least 14 games in every season.
The Dallas Cowboys secondary is in desperate need of help. The organization will almost certainly try to address this need in the draft. However, the team should re-sign Woods to a relatively inexpensive contract due to some of the promise he showed in his first three years in Dallas and the fact that regardless of what they do in the draft he could be used to help shore up depth at the position.