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Roster Rundown
Safety Addition Could Affect Church
Josh Ellis
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is safety Barry Church.)
Name: Barry Church
Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 6-1/222
Experience: One season
College: Toledo
Key stat: For any undrafted rookie, just getting on the field is quite an accomplishment, and Church appeared in 15 games in 2010, establishing himself as a core special teams performer and earning periodic snaps on defense.
Contract Status: Signed through 2012.
2010 Impact: With fourth-rounder Akwasi Owusu-Ansah hurt in training camp and for most of the year, Church got a lot of snaps in the preseason. As a four-year starter in college, he came in fairly polished for an undrafted guy anyway, but all that work couldn't hurt, and neither could the sporadic snaps he got in regular season games. The Cowboys tried him on nickel downs primarily, and he even made some plays in a goal line situation in the Week 3 win at Houston, but it was good enough that he contributed on special teams. The Cowboys probably couldn't have expected anything more from him last year.
Where He Fits: Especially if he shows progress defensively, there could be a place for Church to resume the same role as he had in 2010, or possibly compete for more playing time. The depth chart at the position could change in a flash, though, either on draft weekend or with a free agency signing. All signs point to the Cowboys keeping more cornerbacks and fewer safeties in the coming season. Last year's starter, Alan Ball, will presumably be back in at least a special teams role, and the Cowboys like the promise of Owusu-Ansah. It's possible Church could have to battle fellow 2010 undrafted Danny McCray, the club's best special-teamer last year, for a roster spot.
Writers' Analysis:
Josh Ellis: While McCray was the better player in the kicking game, Church's defensive pedigree is a good bit greater. Still, he lacks the athletic ability of a Ball or Owusu-Ansah, which will force him to prove to the Cowboys that they can't do without him. If he's to develop into a starting-caliber player down the line, he'll have to fight to hang onto a roster spot for another year or two, the same thing most undrafted guys go through, before he gets his shot through attrition.
Nick Eatman: There always seems to be one or two rookie free agents after the draft that everyone has high expectations for. Barry Church was that guy last year and for the most part, he lived up to expectations. He had a nice role on special teams and sometimes in the goal-line packages. I could see Church having a bigger role next season, especially if Gerald Sensabaugh isn't re-signed. Church might have a chance to at least compete for a starting job.
Safety Addition Could Affect Church
Josh Ellis
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is safety Barry Church.)
Name: Barry Church
Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 6-1/222
Experience: One season
College: Toledo
Key stat: For any undrafted rookie, just getting on the field is quite an accomplishment, and Church appeared in 15 games in 2010, establishing himself as a core special teams performer and earning periodic snaps on defense.
Contract Status: Signed through 2012.
2010 Impact: With fourth-rounder Akwasi Owusu-Ansah hurt in training camp and for most of the year, Church got a lot of snaps in the preseason. As a four-year starter in college, he came in fairly polished for an undrafted guy anyway, but all that work couldn't hurt, and neither could the sporadic snaps he got in regular season games. The Cowboys tried him on nickel downs primarily, and he even made some plays in a goal line situation in the Week 3 win at Houston, but it was good enough that he contributed on special teams. The Cowboys probably couldn't have expected anything more from him last year.
Where He Fits: Especially if he shows progress defensively, there could be a place for Church to resume the same role as he had in 2010, or possibly compete for more playing time. The depth chart at the position could change in a flash, though, either on draft weekend or with a free agency signing. All signs point to the Cowboys keeping more cornerbacks and fewer safeties in the coming season. Last year's starter, Alan Ball, will presumably be back in at least a special teams role, and the Cowboys like the promise of Owusu-Ansah. It's possible Church could have to battle fellow 2010 undrafted Danny McCray, the club's best special-teamer last year, for a roster spot.
Writers' Analysis:
Josh Ellis: While McCray was the better player in the kicking game, Church's defensive pedigree is a good bit greater. Still, he lacks the athletic ability of a Ball or Owusu-Ansah, which will force him to prove to the Cowboys that they can't do without him. If he's to develop into a starting-caliber player down the line, he'll have to fight to hang onto a roster spot for another year or two, the same thing most undrafted guys go through, before he gets his shot through attrition.
Nick Eatman: There always seems to be one or two rookie free agents after the draft that everyone has high expectations for. Barry Church was that guy last year and for the most part, he lived up to expectations. He had a nice role on special teams and sometimes in the goal-line packages. I could see Church having a bigger role next season, especially if Gerald Sensabaugh isn't re-signed. Church might have a chance to at least compete for a starting job.