Getty
New Cowboys safety P.J. Locke played for Christian Parker with the Denver Broncos
When new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker was hired by the Denver Broncos to be their defensive backs coach in 2021, safety PJ Locke was still a wide-eyed newbie in the NFL, almost exclusively a special-teams player who had signed on as an undrafted free agent from Texas in 2020. By the time Parker left the Broncos to go to Philadelphia as the Eagles‘ defensive backs coach, Locke had worked his way into a much bigger role, starting eight of Denver’s final 10 games in 2023.
Locke has skill and versatility at the safety spot. But he credits his NFL success to Parker. In fact, when Parker left Denver, it was obvious he was on track to be a defensive coordinator, and both player and coach made a pledge.
“I remember when CP was leaving to go to the Eagles, he had his aspirations of being a DC,” Locke said last week. “And we talked about, like, ‘Man, if I ever become a free agent by the time you become a DC, we’re gonna make this thing happen.’ It’s so crazy how he becomes the DC with the Cowboys, and I’m from Texas, and everything seemed to click.”
PJ Locke Part of Christian Parker’s Cowboys Defense Reboot
Locke, indeed, signed a one-year deal worth $4 million plus incentives with the Cowboys, joining Jalen Thompson from the Cardinals in a revamped Dallas safety room. He is joining Parker to help fix a defense that was ranked the worst in the NFL last season, one that had holes up and down the roster. But Parker, with a specialty in defensive backs, has made addressing the back line his priority.
In addition to Thompson and Locke, the Cowboys also added Cobie Durant from the Rams. It’s possible–even probable, really, that the Cowboys will add another corner in next month’s NFL draft. They’re also hopeful for a return to health from DaRon Bland, and a big leap from Shavon Revel, who struggled as a rookie.
Christian Parker Will Clean Up Cowboys Communication Issues
Parker’s command of his defense and of the details of that defense should go a long way in providing some improvement. The Cowboys struggled with communication, both under coordinator Matt Eberflus last year and Mike Zimmer the previous year.
Making sure his players know what he wants is a strength of Parker, Locke said.
“CP hates gray area. I hate gray area as well,” Locke said. “Like, I need to know what to do in this situation, we get this motion, we get this formation, we get this play call—what do you want us to do? What are you looking for? The gray area just kind of creates miscommunication. It creates, like, you playing slower, not being able to process stuff.”
PJ Locke: ‘He Is Really Good at Teaching’
The Cowboys set out on their search for a new defensive coordinator hoping to find a coach who could also be a teacher–that was the word coach Brian Schottenheimer repeatedly used after the team fired Eberflus. Parker’s former players have been effusive in their praise of Parker’s teaching ability.
Said Locke: “He is really good at teaching you the details of the game, he is a technician in that way. He’s also about teaching his techniques. That’s everything that I love as a player. There’s a reason people gravitate towards him. He demands a lot out of his players. He can convey when it is tough, he can have those tough conversations, which, I had a bunch of them, me being young. I can honestly say he shaped me into the player I am.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
More Heavy on Cowboys
Loading more stories