The Dallas Cowboys are regarded as an elite drafting franchise, but their hit rate has not been as kind in recent years, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.
2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith will go down as one of the worst first-round picks in team history, but he's far from Dallas' only failed evaluation. Between Kelvin Joseph, Trysten Hill, Nahshon Wright, Sam Williams, and Neville Gallimore, the Cowboys haven't gotten the desired return on several Day 1 and Day 2 investments.
It hasn't been all bad, though. Success stories date as far back as 2017 when Dallas drafted safety Xavier Woods in the sixth round. Woods, who started 48 games for America's Team, has carved out a really nice career for himself.
Unfortunately, Woods was part of a sequence of cuts made by the Titans this week. His release comes as a surprise, given that they already had the most cap space in the NFL. But with new head coach Robert Saleh looking to get younger on defense, Woods became expendable.
Former Dallas Cowboys safety Xavier Woods released by the Titans
By releasing Woods, the Titans will save nearly $4 million in cap space. He appeared in 11 games last season, including 10 starts, before a hamstring injury deleted the second half of his season.
For as much flak as the Cowboys get for not investing in the safety position, Woods was a serviceable starter for four seasons, posting a 69.45 defensive grade and a 70.6 coverage grade while averaging nearly 850 snaps per year, per Pro Football Focus.
The now-30-year-old never allowed more than 8.5 yards per catch in a season with Dallas and conceded just six touchdowns on well over 2,000 coverage snaps. He didn't have crazy ball production, but five interceptions and 18 passes defended are nothing to sneeze at.
Woods is hardly a perfect player, but it's quite ironic that he is now on the market with the Cowboys' safety room looking as thin as it's been in a handful of years.
With new defensive coordinator Christian Parker aiming to get more athletic and versatile at the position, it's doubtful that Woods is a fit in free agency, though it bears mention that he's played all over the defensive backfield in his career, including over 1,000 snaps in the slot.
It's tempting, but with Woods now on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a season-ending hamstring injury, Dallas should wish him well in his future endeavors and look elsewhere for safety help.