BTB: Xavier Woods is looking like the newest Dallas Cowboys diamond

Smitty

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Many believed that Xavier Woods was a steal for the Cowboys. It looks like that is going to indeed be true.

by RJ Ochoa@rjochoa Aug 13, 2017, 2:30pm CDT

31 NFL teams really let the Dallas Cowboys draft Xavier Woods at 191st overall (this is the part where we all laugh hysterically and high-five each other).

When the Cowboys traded up to go grab the hard-hitting safety out of Louisiana Tech, many rejoiced. Xavier is the type of pet cat that was one way before the rest, making him a pet kitten if you will. How he fell to the sixth round is still a mystery.



Dallas let a lot of players from their secondary walk in free agency, and right now it might be fair to say that the most-missed is Barry Church. His fellow safety JJ.. Wilcox though, well people have been trying to get rid of him for years... until he played eh-kind-of-somewhat well recently.

Xavier Woods has, for the moment (it’s a very small sample size), made us all forget about J.J. Wilcox. He’s a younger, cheaper, more-understanding-of-basic-angles carbon copy of J.J.

During the preseason game in Los Angeles, Xavier jarred a fumble out that Kavon Frazier recovered. The play would be reviewed and deemed an incomplete catch, but the epic nature of the moment was something that could not be overturned. He laid the wood so to speak (I hate myself for taking the lay-up pun), which is something he did frequently during his days at Louisiana Tech.



It was just a season ago that the Cowboys had a sixth-round secondary diamond in terms of Anthony Brown, and we might have a tradition on our hands here with Xavier Woods (hopefully Woods doesn’t also get a tattoo of a chip on his shoulder for being drafted so late).

While the secondary has been a subject of concern (and ridicule during the first preseason game in Canton) things felt as if they’d be alright all around during the game in Los Angeles. Byron Jones, Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier, and now Xavier Woods make a nice little line of safety depth, and if you’re feeling particularly crafty you can throw in Xavier’s fellow rookie Chidobe Awuzie in considering his position flexibility.

The hype around Xavier Woods was insanely high from jump street, and that’s pretty rare for someone drafted in the sixth round. It may have taken two preseason games (what an exorbitant amount of time), but it’s starting to be somewhat justified.
 

midswat

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The idea of finding a competent safety erects my football boner.
 

Simpleton

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I thought this guy could've been a late 3rd, definitely an early 4th type, so to get him where we did I was pretty thrilled. He was overaggressive at times in college and busted plays but if he can play with discipline I think he'll be better than Heath by next season.
 

1bigfan13

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I’d feel a lot better about these glowing reports if they were written by neutral sources with critical but fair eyes. BTB is just another Cowboys fan boy blog so I never take their contently too seriously. They provide good content but from what I’ve noticed they usually go with the glowing, glass half full ideology when assessing the Cowboys.
 

Cowboysrock55

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He was a pet cat of mine long before he was ever schedule to visit with Dallas. Just a true play maker in college with good speed and athletic ability for a safety. In my opinion the only difference between him and a lot of the higher safeties in this draft was height. I'm glad we are finally letting him play some serious preseason minutes and I'm ready to see him start climbing the safety depth chart. To me he should be our third safety right now.
 

DLK150

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I’d feel a lot better about these glowing reports if they were written by neutral sources with critical but fair eyes. BTB is just another Cowboys fan boy blog so I never take their contently too seriously. They provide good content but from what I’ve noticed they usually go with the glowing, glass half full ideology when assessing the Cowboys.
True but they're at least partially referencing the tweet by PFF and how that site graded him. Part of me thinks they used that analysis then put their own spin on it.

Regardless, I'll never get too hyped over a player "shining" in a preseason game. I never watch those games with rose colored glasses on.
 

Cowboysrock55

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True but they're at least partially referencing the tweet by PFF and how that site graded him. Part of me thinks they used that analysis then put their own spin on it.

Regardless, I'll never get too hyped over a player "shining" in a preseason game. I never watch those games with rose colored glasses on.
To me it is more like I was really excited about this guy. And I was worried because he hadn't shown anything in preseason. So as far as this is concerned, the preseason evidence is just finally confirming what I already felt about the guy. He was a massive play maker in college and I thought he was a steal the day we picked him.
 

Smitty

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I’d feel a lot better about these glowing reports if they were written by neutral sources with critical but fair eyes. BTB is just another Cowboys fan boy blog so I never take their contently too seriously. They provide good content but from what I’ve noticed they usually go with the glowing, glass half full ideology when assessing the Cowboys.
True, but unfortunately the national sports news media has abdicated its responsibility to cover these topics in favor of baseball highlights for the 27th time this morning, or feel good special interest piece journalism. Their sports coverage is lowest common denominator brain drain, and they like it that way. Too many people haven't heard about Xavier Woods, so why cover it?

Instead of actually educating the fans as to who might be the up and comers from rival teams that they haven't heard of. Hey, look, let's talk about Colin Kaepernick again, or sitting for the national anthem, starring Michael Bennett this time.

So fan-driven sources like BTB are the only places to go for this analysis if you didn't pay attention the first time yourself.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Xavier Woods hoping to find his groove
11:30 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

OXNARD, Calif. – Rookie safety Xavier Woods led the Dallas Cowboys in tackles in Saturday’s preseason loss with seven. He also delivered a big hit that initially created a fumble that was overturned by replay into an incomplete pass.

“I’m not in a groove right now,” Woods said after the game. “I did all right, but it just takes games, takes experience to be at the level I want to be at.”

So what does being in a groove feel like?


Cowboys rookie safety Xavier Woods "certainly seemed like he was around the ball a lot," coach Jason Garrett said. K.C. Alfred/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire
“You’re just playing, you’re flowing, you’re kind of getting in a zone to where nothing can bother you,” Woods said. “You make a bad play or something like that, it just brushes off. I’m not at that point yet.”

The Cowboys drafted Woods in the sixth round, lucky to find a player ranked in their top 90 available with the 191st overall pick. He started all but two games he played at Louisiana Tech and had 14 interceptions, six forced fumbles, 18 pass breakups and four sacks.

After the Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals, he moved to the second team. He played 38 snaps against the Rams, which was fourth most on the defense. With injuries in the secondary, Woods took some time in the slot and made a few stops.

But it was the hit late in the third quarter that energized everybody. With receiver Temarrick Hemingway looking for a Sean Mannion pass, Woods led with his shoulder and jarred the ball free. Kavon Frazier picked up the loose ball, but after the replay officials looked at the play, it was ruled Hemingway did not have possession.

“Did I feel it?” Woods said. “Nah, I feel the adrenaline. That’s about it.”

The Cowboys appear set with their starting safeties in Byron Jones and Jeff Heath, but Woods is earning more trust.

“He certainly seemed like he was around the ball a lot,” coach Jason Garrett said. “Certainly seemed like he was physical and he made a number of plays in third-down situations to keep the guy short of making the first down. So, he looks like he’s an instinctive player right now and he’s getting better and better the more he plays.”
 

Chocolate Lab

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I’d feel a lot better about these glowing reports if they were written by neutral sources with critical but fair eyes. BTB is just another Cowboys fan boy blog so I never take their contently too seriously. They provide good content but from what I’ve noticed they usually go with the glowing, glass half full ideology when assessing the Cowboys.
They make the Zone look like a funeral procession.
 

Cotton

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