After he went undrafted out of East Carolina in 2024, defensive back Julius Wood has several offers on hand, including from the Cowboys. With good reason–during his time with the Pirates, he’d started 24 straight games and developed a reputation as a hard-hitting safety who twice led the team in tackles from the defensive backfield and was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection.
Wood ultimately chose to sign on with Dallas, and said at the time, “I feel like it was the situation, the roster aspect — that was the most important — being able to compete. Really, it came down to where I feel like was the best fit. … I felt like the Cowboys, in my heart, was the place I needed to be at.
He spent that summer with the Cowboys but was, ultimately released at the end of camp. Wood did sign on with Tennessee, though, and was put on the active roster, playing nine games, mostly on special teams.
On Tuesday, though, Dallas announced that Wood is back, as the team wrote on Twitter/X: “The @dallascowboys signed DB Julius Wood to the practice squad.”
Julius Wood Suspended in 2024
Wood’s NFL career got off to an ignominious start with the Titans because, after making appearances in the kicking game and getting five snaps as a defensive back, the NFL suspended him for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. It was a six-game suspension.
But Wood has turned the page on last season, and is back with a chance to help the Cowboys out of a desperate situation with their defensive backs. Malik Hooker is out with a toe injury and has been placed on IR, which will keep him out for at least four games, though perhaps longer.
The team started Juanyeh Thomas in Hooker’s place in Week 5, and elevated Alijah Clark from the practice squad, opening a spot for Wood.
Cowboys Hoping to Get Healthy
The injury-ravaged Cowboys are 2-2-1 and sorting through the timetables of getting players back in the next two weeks. The hope is that their interior offensive linemen–at least Tyler Booker and Tyler Smith–will be on the field in Week 6. There’s hope that CeeDee Lamb will return in either Week 6 or 7, too.
“It’s still early. I think we’ll find out more in the next couple of days. I think we’re trending in the right direction on a few guys,” coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters.
“I’m seeing progress on all the guys. Whether they’re able to make it to this weekend? We’ll see, but I do think we’re closing in on some good markers for these guys in the next couple of weeks.”
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