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The Dallas Cowboys will surely be in the market for wide receiver help, and a new option just hit the free agency market after the Tennessee Titans released Robert Woods on February 22.
Woods, a 10-year veteran, could make perfect sense in Dallas, where the “Cowboys must find a more appropriate receiver to play second fiddle to CeeDee Lamb in 2023,” according to The Draft Network. “Lamb’s presence would place Woods in advantageous positions. That’s a benefit Woods didn’t possess in Tennessee’s lackluster receiver room.”
The soon-to-be 31-year-old appears to be excited to be leaving Tennessee as well.
“Free!” Woods tweeted on February 22. “Where should I go?”
Wide receiver is the Dallas’ biggest need, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, who wrote in a February 20 story that the Cowboys are hoping that Michael Gallup develops into a true No. 2 receiver, but “Dallas can’t count on hope.”
Woods has barely surpassed 500 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons and hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams. It seems likely he could be available at a cut rate after getting released with two years left on the four-year, $65 million contract extension he signed in 2020. By cutting Woods, the Titans cleared $12 million in cap space. “There is a world in which he is worth less than $4 million a year,” according to Bolt Beat.
Robert Woods’ Super Bowl Pedigree Before Tennessee Titans Stint
It’s hard to judge Woods’ 2022 season with the Titans, partially because Tennessee lost starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill for five games during the regular season. But even in a “down” year, Woods put up 527 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 17 appearances. In an injury-limited season with the Rams in 2021, Woods totaled 567 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in only nine games.
Fans will remember his impressive stretch from 2017 through 2020, when Woods totaled 3,289 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns with then-quarterback Jared Goff.
Woods also seems as if he could be a natural replacement for T.Y. Hilton, who contributed at a high level while also being a veteran presence to help along the Cowboys’ younger receivers. Having a recent Super Bowl title to his name certainly helps, especially considering his respectable 38 receptions for 410 yards in the NFL playoffs.
Woods is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL. He is willing to do the dirty work as a blocker,” NFL.com’s Kevin Patra in March 2022. “But he’s also capable of being an explosive playmaker who can easily win routes. Wherever he’s been, Woods has become a QB favorite because he’s always in the right spot and doesn’t miss plays.”
Cowboys Can Get a ‘Deal’ for Woods
The former USC star was traded by the Rams to the Titans for a sixth-round pick. After a down year, Dallas can probably land him for far less.
Of course, that will depend on what sort of market exists for Woods. The more teams interested in his signature, the more difficult and expensive it will be, obviously. But he may be the perfect type of veteran receiver that the Cowboys were looking for in Odell Beckham Jr. and Hilton at a decent price.
Playoff experience and consistent production are two things that Dallas desperately needs across the roster, especially at the wide receiver position. In terms of available options, few pass-catchers make perfect sense as a fit for the Cowboys this offseason.
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