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Panthers expected to make a run at Cowboys safety Barry Church

Wild Card Playoffs - Detroit Lions v Dallas Cowboys

ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 04: Strong safety Barry Church #42 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after the Cowboys defense forced quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions to fumble the ball late in the fourth quarter during a NFC Wild Card Playoff game at AT&T Stadium on January 4, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

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The Panthers are looking for an upgrade in their secondary, and they have apparently narrowed their list of targets.

According to Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review, the Panthers are “expected to make a run at” Cowboys safety Barry Church.

The Panthers invested in free safety Kurt Coleman last year, but playing him at strong safety was a waste of his talents as a deep cover player, and trying to force Tre Boston into a bigger role proved to be too much for the former fourth-round pick.

Church is a natural strong safety who would allow Coleman to move back into a center field role (he had seven interceptions in 2015) and give the Panthers a more trustworthy veteran option. After drafting a bunch of cornerbacks last year, they’re apparently intent on solidifying the secondary through free agency.