Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Al Woods

Following a year-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Woods hopes his third stint with the Seahawks will be as successful as his last one as he aims to provide a reliable rotational run stuffer in the trenches. What does the 34-year old have left in the tank?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jun 27, 2021 6:30 PM EDT

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than two months. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Al Woods, Defensive Tackle

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 330 pounds

2020 Stats: Did not play (COVID-19 opt-out)

While Woods last played for the Seahawks in 2019, it feels like he never left the team. The 10-year veteran was one of a handful of players who decided against playing during the 2020 season due to the pandemic and the Jaguars cut him in April without ever playing a game for the franchise. Previously playing for the Colts, Titans, Steelers, and Buccaneers, the former LSU standout has plenty of tread on his tires with 125 games played on his resume and turned 34 years old in March. But he should be well-rested after not playing last year and he was productive during his second stint in Seattle, producing 32 tackles, a sack, and a pair of fumble recoveries in 14 games two years ago.

Best Case Scenario: Not displaying any rust despite a year away from the game, Woods rounds into form quickly as a quality reserve nose tackle behind Bryan Mone, helping the Seahawks remain one of the best in the NFL at stuffing the run while offering an occasional quarterback pressure from the interior.

Worst Case Scenario: Struggling throughout camp and beginning to show his age, Woods becomes the latest experienced veteran to return to Seattle and not make the 53-man roster as the team opts to keep more athletic tackles in Robert Nkemdiche and Cedrick Lattimore instead.

What to Expect in 2021: It remains to be seen what Woods has left in the tank, but the Seahawks clearly believe the 6-foot-4, 330-pound run stuffer still has plenty of quality football left. They signed him before officially releasing Jarran Reed and while he's not the same type of player, he should be difficult for opponents to move off the line of scrimmage in the run game and will sporadically splash with a well-orchestrated bull rush to drive a blocker into the quarterback's lap. There's a good chance with Mone emerging he won't play 450 snaps as he did in 2019, but that's not necessarily a bad thing at his age and if he can play 250-plus snaps at a high level, he should be a helpful addition coming back to the Pacific Northwest.