Jaguars Free Agency Review: What Does Al Woods Bring to the Table?
With Marcell Dareus still a free agent, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a big need for a veteran nose tackle in the middle of their defense. Their route to solving this problem? Bringing in 11th-year defensive tackle Al Woods.
The Jaguars agreed to terms with Woods in March for a one-year, $2.5 million deal, a relatively cheap deal for a veteran run-stuffer who the Jaguars will lean on to help improve a run defense that allowed 23 rushing touchdowns and 5.1 yards per carry in 2019.
"When you look at [Al] Woods, you see someone that I’ve known and played against and he’s always a tough guy to move, and I think he can give you, at times, good push like Taven [Bryan] has done for us, giving us good push up the middle," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said on Tuesday. "Al is a tough man to move, he’s a big human being and we expect him to come in there and really clog it up and play the run well."
In 14 games (five starts) with the Seahawks last season, Woods (6-foot-4, 330-pounds) recorded 32 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and two fumble recoveries. Woods missed the final two games of the regular season as well as the Seahawks' two playoff games due to a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Woods, who turns 33 this week, has spent time with the Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Indianapolis Colts in his career. In 125 career games (48 career starts) the run-stuffing veteran has recorded 204 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
To get a better gauge for how Woods can help the Jaguars' defense and which tools he brings to the table, we spoke with Corbin Smith of SeahawkMaven, who gave us his rundown on Woods as a player.
1) Al Woods wasn't exactly a known name amongst Jaguars fans before he was signed. What are his strengths?
Smith: "He's not much of a pass-rushing presence, but at 330-plus pounds, Woods can be an immovable object in the trenches from the nose tackle spot. He has thick, powerful legs that allow him to set anchor against double teams, but that's not all he brings to the table. He's not just a space-eater who creates opportunities for linebackers to make plays in the run game. Looking back at his career, he's posted pretty impressive tackle numbers, proving himself capable of shedding blocks and being disruptive generating plays in the backfield. He had 44 tackles for the Colts in 2017 and even with only five starts for the Seahawks last year, he finished with 32 tackles and two fumble recoveries. "
2) Woods hasn't been a starter too often in his career aside from a few stretches. Do you think he can fill a short-term starting role for a team at nose tackle?
Smith: "Absolutely. That's exactly what he did for the Seahawks at the beginning of the 2019 season when Jarran Reed received a six-game suspension from the NFL for a domestic violence incident. He started alongside Poona Ford for five of the first six games and played more than 50 percent of Seattle's defensive snaps in four of those contests. He made the most of those snaps, including making a key fourth down run stop against the Bengals in the season opener and tackling Jared Goff short of the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt in a win over the Rams."
3) What kind of value does Woods provide against the pass? Is he primarily a two-down player?
Smith: "Woods won't be a complete non-factor against the pass, as he does have the ability to push the pocket some and create opportunities for others with bull rushes. At this stage of his career, however, he's a two-down player who will be subbed out in obvious passing situations. He had one quarterback hit and a single sack the entire season, so he didn't stuff the stat sheet with pass-rushing numbers and that has never been his game. "
4) Did you think Seattle would bring him back, and what is your reaction to them not doing so?
Smith: "I was 50/50 on Woods returning, primarily because of how the season ended for him. He let the Seahawks down by receiving a four-game suspension late in the year for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy and wasn't available for either of the team's playoff games, which really hurt their run defense. With that said, he was productive in 14 games before the ban and has been a solid rotational tackle for several years, so I envisioned the team would be open to bringing him back at the right price. John Schneider has a penchant for finding quality veteran defensive tackles at bargain prices and though Woods played well last season, I do expect they'll find a capable replacement for him."
As Smith points out, Woods is mainly a two-down run defender at this point in his career, which is the role he is set to play for the Jaguars and defensive coordinator Todd Wash in 2020. The team lacks consistent interior penetration without Calais Campbell, and Woods isn't the answer to solving that problem. He could be part of the solution to improving the run defense, however.
Will Woods start? That depends on what the Jaguars do in this year's draft, but Woods at least has experience and credibility as a starting nose tackle. If the Jaguars don't like their options at nose tackle early in the draft, such as Auburn's Derrick Brown, then it is reasonable to believe Woods could start. If the Jaguars do take a nose tackle early on, then Woods is solid depth.
Woods isn't a high-ceiling player who will change the complexion of the Jaguars' defense, but he is a useful defender whose niche value could drastically improve one major area of concern for the Jaguars' defense.
It remains to be seen what the Jaguars will do about the starting nose tackle position, but Woods at least gives the Jaguars more flexibility along their defensive line.
