George: Church Talks Offseason

boozeman

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Cowboys S Barry Church talks offseason, Byron Jones and what he'd like team to do with No. 4 draft pick


By Brandon George , Staff Writer Contact Brandon George on Twitter: @DMN_George


ARLINGTON - Dallas Cowboys starting safety Barry Church is preparing for a contract year in 2016 by losing weight this offseason.

Church is entering the final season of a four-year, $12.4 million contract extension he signed in 2012. His base salary in 2016 is $4.25 million.

Church said Friday that he wants to lose 8 pounds this offseason and is already down 5 pounds.

"I definitely want to shed some weight so I can go out there and run a little bit faster and do a little bit better in coverage and we'll see what happens," Church said. "This is a huge year for me. I definitely have to produce well for when I go into that next year and get another contract or wherever it takes me from there."

Church was in Arlington on Friday morning to help the Cowboys and Dairy MAX award the Arlington ISD with the $10,000 Fuel Up to Play 60 Hometown Grant for the second consecutive year.

The grant, intended to support healthy nutrition and physical activity programs in schools, will be used by the Arlington ISD once again to purchase and install Fuel Up to Play 60 playground stencils at seven Arlington elementary schools.

Cowboys chief branding officer Charlotte Jones Anderson, Arlington ISD superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos and Arlington mayor Jeff Williams joined Church at Bebensee Elementary School in Arlington for the grant presentation.

Church painted with a stencil to help some of the elementary students decorate their play area.

"It might have been fifth grade the last time I stenciled, but I still have great skills as you can see over here," Church said. "I'm pretty nice at it."

Church just finished a season in which he was second on the Cowboys with 136 tackles, but he didn't have a pass breakup.

Church didn't play in the Cowboys' season finale against Washington because he fractured his right arm against Buffalo in the last road game. Church said Friday his arm is fully healed now.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said this week from the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis that the club is leaning toward having 2015 first-round pick Byron Jones playing at safety full-time next season alongside Church. Byron Jones played both cornerback and safety during his rookie season.

Church said "it worked out great" when he played alongside Byron Jones at safety.

"I feel like he's a great athlete," Church said. "He can cover the slots as well so we'll be able to keep an extra linebacker in there instead of going to dime packages since he'll be able to just go down to the slot and cover the slot from there. I think he's a great athlete. He has the potential to be a great safety in this league. He's getting his tackling skills a lot better and his change of direction a lot better as well, so we'll see and hopefully he'll be back there matched up with me and we can do big things."

Church said he's keeping a close eye on the defensive prospects working out at the scouting combine this week. Church was asked Friday if he'd prefer the Cowboys use their fourth overall pick in April on a player who can help them win now as opposed to a quarterback who would have to develop behind starter Tony Romo.

"Personally, I would like to have a win-now piece," Church said. "I'm a veteran now and I need to win. I want to win. I don't want to look a couple of years down the road, I want to win now. But whoever they draft I feel like they'll make a great decision and hopefully whoever they draft can help us get to that next level."
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So anyways, he is a "glue guy" and anyone who thinks we move on from him is crazy.
 

Chocolate Lab

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Lucky for us it's a contract year so he actually wants to be in shape and produce and stuff.
 

boozeman

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Lucky for us it's a contract year so he actually wants to be in shape and produce and stuff.
He's smart.

He understands how it works with our structure.

He has that going for him, which is nice.
 

Simpleton

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We could cut this schlub and probably sign Weddle to a contract where the first year is more or less what we save by cutting Church. It'll never happen in a million years though.
 

bbgun

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Lucky for us it's a contract year so he actually wants to be in shape and produce and stuff.
no need; Jerry's seen enough excellence. he'll extend him before or during the season.

find someone better than him? that's crazy talk.
 

Cowboysrock55

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We could cut this schlub and probably sign Weddle to a contract where the first year is more or less what we save by cutting Church. It'll never happen in a million years though.
I don't get it at all. Somehow Church can play like utter shit and he still has the starting spot on lockdown. Not sure who to blame for that but it sucks. Reminds me of the way we trot Hayden out there even though he plays like shit.
 

boozeman

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I don't get it at all. Somehow Church can play like utter shit and he still has the starting spot on lockdown. Not sure who to blame for that but it sucks. Reminds me of the way we trot Hayden out there even though he plays like shit.
Just means we have a lazy coaching staff that likes it when players don't have to be followed around and reminded of things. In general, if they carry out what they are instructed to do, but still fail, it is somehow okay.

There guys like this on every team, pets who keep hanging around. Marinelli in particular had Chris Conte, who couldn't (and still can't) play to save his life, starting continually despite being a massive liability.
 

Stars

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In an ideal world, Church would be a special teams player and never set foot on the field on defense.
 

Smitty

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In an ideal world, Church would be a special teams player and never set foot on the field on defense.
I'm fine with Church as a third safety. Problem is he's been a first or second safety here for too long.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I'm fine with Church as a third safety. Problem is he's been a first or second safety here for too long.
The problem is Church just sucks in zone coverage. I mean he covers no one and that's why he makes basically no plays on the ball. I'd almost rather roll with Byron Jones and Wilcox and cut Church outright for the cap space.
 

bbgun

please don't "dur" me
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I don't get it at all. Somehow Church can play like utter shit and he still has the starting spot on lockdown. Not sure who to blame for that but it sucks. Reminds me of the way we trot Hayden out there even though he plays like shit.
we did the same thing with Hamlin and Sensabaugh for years.
 
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