Dallas Cowboys Sign Safety Barry Church to Extension

The Dallas Cowboys have signed safety Barry Church to a four-year contract extension that will keep him with the ‘Boys through the 2016 season.

Church had four career starts before tearing his Achilles tendon in the third game of the 2012 season, but is clearly in Dallas’ future plans for the secondary.

Church went undrafted in 2010 out of Toledo and was set to be a restricted free agent after this season.

On restricted free agents, clubs have four different options of tenders to place on the player, including the original draft tender, which in Church’s case, would not give the Cowboys draft-pick compensation if he signed with another team.  Other restricted options give the teams a second-round pick compensation, a first-rounder, and then a first and third-round pick.

“He’s going to be a superstar in this league,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. “You get a guy early, and he comes out of that injury healthy, and this guy is going to be a fantastic safety, so [his injury is] real unfortunate. I think I shed a few tears on that one when we lost him for the year.”

The four-year extension is worth $12.4 million with $3.9 guaranteed. He will also receive a $2.5 million bonus.