Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Release 6 Players Including DT Antwaun Woods

Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is tackled by Antwaun Woods #99 of the Dallas Cowboys and Kerry Hyder #51 during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Corey Perrine/Getty Images

Less than a week after the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday released six players from the roster.

The players include defensive tackles Antwaun Woods and Walter Palmore, cornerbacks Saivion Smith and Kemon Hall, defensive end Ladarius Hamilton and center Adam Redmond, according to a post on the Cowboys website.

Woods, 28, signed with the Cowboys in 2018 after he was released by Tennessee. He started in 32 or 39 games with the Cowboys and recorded 2 1/2 sacks.

Woods had signed a non-guaranteed $2.1 million contract as a restricted free agent last month, so his release won't cost anything against the salary cap.

The Cowboys leaned heavily into the defensive side of the ball in the 2021 NFL Draft. Pat Doney, Newy Scruggs, Calvin Watkins and Todd Archer break down Dallas' selections.

After giving up a franchise-record 473 points and having the second-worst run defense in the NFL, the Cowboys used eight of their 11 draft picks on defensive players last week, the most since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones said the club hoped some rookies could replace higher-priced veterans to help with the salary cap, and the 28-year-old Woods is the first example of it.

Dallas drafted a pair of defensive tackles in UCLA's Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna of Kentucky. While Odighizuwa's build could be a fit for a rush end, Bohanna is a prototypical interior defensive lineman at 327 pounds.

The Cowboys also are expecting contributions from their top draft pick of two years ago, Trysten Hill. The 2019 second-rounder was a disappointment as a rookie but was off to a solid start last season before a torn knee ligament ended his season.

The 318-pound Woods started 32 of 39 games over three seasons for the Cowboys, who signed him during the 2018 offseason after Tennessee waived him. The 28-year-old Woods was undrafted out of Southern California in 2016. Woods has 83 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks in his career.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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