Former Seahawks NT Al Woods says he was ‘tired of catching and reading’

The Seattle Seahawks are set to report for training camp Tuesday, with both rookies and veterans set to report on the same day. Across the league several teams have already reported for training camp, including the New York Jets who are set to take on the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, August 3 in the 2023 edition of the Hall of Fame Game.

With the Jets already in camp, they have started making veterans available to the media, and that includes former Seahawks defensive lineman Al Woods. Woods, of course, was released in a move that Seattle general manager John Schneider declared was for both ’cap and cash reasons’. During his time speaking with the New York media Woods was asked what attracted him to the Jets, and his response was that he, “Just wanted to do something different. Been in a 3-4 for a long time so I was tired of catching and reading.”

In addition, in comparing the Jets’ defense to the kind of defenses he’s played in previously during his career, Woods was asked, “Robert [Saleh] was talking, you mentioned this a little about how like more attacking for the defensive linemen here to just go after it like that. How freeing is that? Especially, you know, considering where you were, the defense you were in before, especially when you get after it?”

To which Woods responded,

“It’s totally different. You know, playing a 3-4 defense you know, you more, like making sure the linebackers stay free, taking up two guys, more of a space eater. You know, over here it’s like, you know, we getting off the ball, we knocking people back and then we running to the ball. So, it’s a big difference in style of play.”

It seems unlikely that the 36 year old Woods will see much action in the preseason, but for fans who are desperate for something resembling football, the Jets and Browns will open the preseason in little more than a week at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.