FRISCO, Texas – A day after Barry Church signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, J.J. Wilcox became the second free-agent safety to leave the Cowboys, reaching a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday.
A third-round pick by the Cowboys in 2013, Wilcox converted to safety full-time after playing mostly receiver in college. He appeared in 58 games for Dallas over the last four seasons, including two years as a starter (2014-15), tallying 158 tackles, 15 pass breakups and five interceptions.
Wilcox made four starts for an injured Church last November, all Cowboys wins, and made 23 tackles. He's the fifth Cowboys free agent to join a new team since the start of free agency: Church (Jaguars), defensive tackle Terrell McClain (Washington Redskins), guard Ronald Leary (Denver Broncos), defensive lineman Jack Crawford (Atlanta Falcons).
With Church and Wilcox departing, Jeff Heath could compete to step into the starting lineup next to Byron Jones. The Cowboys also have Kavon Frazier, a sixth-round pick last year, returning.
The Cowboys have two more unrestricted free agents in their secondary: cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. The club reached an agreement with former Eagles cornerback Nolan Carroll on Friday.
