FRISCO, Texas — One of the most pressing items on the ĂŰĚŇTV' agenda in this year's free agency spree was to address the safety position. They'd double down on doing so by signing Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, adding them to a room currently led by Malik Hooker and Markquese Bell.
Locke's deal with the Cowboys is one layered with emotion, the Beaumont, Texas native that played college football at the University of Texas returning to his home state to suit up for a team he grew up cheering for.
"Man, it's such a surreal moment, a full circle moment," Locke told . "My wife is from Fort Worth. My whole family grew up Cowboys' fans. To be here and able to play for the home team is a blessing. It's such a miracle."
That's not the only connection he has to the Cowboys, though.
The large majority of Locke's career was spent with the Denver Broncos, up to and through the 2025 season. His early years in the Mile High city were spent being coached by Christian Parker, the newly-named defensive coordinator of the Cowboys.
Parker was Locke's position coach in Denver for three seasons before departing for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, and helped to develop him from an undrafted talent to a defensive starter (15 starts in 2024) and core special teams player with great versatility. Needless to say, Parker is a key reason Locke is in Dallas, and Locke couldn't be more thrilled about the reunion.
"I went undrafted in 2019, and I'm going into my eighth year now," he said of his journey to this point, and of being tasked with helping to revamp what was the league's worst defense last season. "That speaks for itself, right there. Any type of situation where someone has their back against the wall, I'm able to provide my expertise to that, because I've been grinding, scratching and clawing my whole career; and I wanna be great.
"You gotta have pieces to do that, and having Christian Parker here — I'm familiar with the scheme he's gonna run — and helping the young guys get it together, and to try and be a leader on defense."
He went on to express what Parker did for him in Denver, and what the two can achieve in Dallas.
"When he was my coach with the Broncos, we spent a lot of time together — training camps, waking up early in the morning and going over film — just helping me get up to par with the IQ of the game," he said of Parker. "And I feel like I've grown so much. … It'll be super exciting. … It also starts with communication, and CP is the right coach for that.
"He's very detailed in that sense, and you gain confidence when you understand the details of the game and of what he provides. We'll be fine."
Locke joins a team led by the potency of its offense and a defense headlined by the strength of its defensive interior, namely, All-Pro Quinnen Williams and Pro Bowler Kenny Clark, but also a linebackers corps that features Locke's former Longhorn teammate, DeMarvion Overshown, also a player Locke hosted during his visit to Austin as an incoming freshman (a tidbit made known by Overshown).
As a related aside, there's also former Broncos' running back Javonte Williams, having signed a three-year extension this offseason, to help him acclimate.
Offering up a ton of praise for Overshown from their time together in Austin — hinting at an instant chemistry in 2026 — and for the behemoths that are Williams and Clark, Locke sees things coming together for the Cowboys' defense, and especially with Parker coordinating their efforts.
"To be honest, it still doesn't feel real right now," he said, wearing what can only be described as an evergreen smile. "Walking the halls is making it a little more real, but it really feels like a dream come true. I'm just super excited. I know what this team can do, and we continue to add pieces.
"We have the capabilities to do some big things this year."
