Barry Church expected to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Dallas Cowboys could lose one of their bigger free agents, as it’s being reported that safety Barry Church is expected to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It appears that the Dallas Cowboys are on the verge of losing one of their biggest free agents to the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, strong safety Barry Church is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Jags worth over $6 million per season.
Barring a change of heart, #Cowboys safety Barry Church is expected to land with the #Jaguars on a 4-year deal worth more than $6M per year
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2017
If this report is indeed true, Dallas will be forced to replace a cornerstone player in their defensive secondary.
Currently on the Cowboys depth chart at safety are starter Byron Jones, special teams ace Jeff Heath and Kavon Frazier, a sixth round selection last year.
Heath turned in a terrific performance during the Cowboys lone playoff game against the Green Bay Packers earlier this year. Recording three total tackles, a sack and an interception on 21 defensive snaps, some believe the four-year safety could make the leap to starter in place of Church.
But replacing a player like Church will be easier said than done. The 29-year old has been one of the Cowboys most consistent players for the past four seasons, averaging 108.5 tackles per year during that span.
With Church’s expected exodus, the safety position suddenly becomes a bigger priority for the Cowboys to address either in free agency or via the NFL Draft.
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Last season, Church recorded 85 total tackles, had four pass defends, two interception and one forced fumble in 12 contests. He missed four games due to a broken forearm.