Veteran teammate’s championship advice to Cowboys’ Caleb Downs revealed

The Dallas Cowboys had an eventful offseason as they look to get back into the NFC playoff picture, and there is a lot of optimism that they may be able to do just that.

One of the biggest additions the Cowboys made this offseason is safety Caleb Downs. The Cowboys were linked to Downs leading up to the NFL Draft in April, and they showed their love for the Ohio State star on draft night by trading up to No. 11 to get him. While Dallas had one of the best offenses in the NFL in 2025 and should again this season, Downs will help patch up their numerous issues on defense.

Now, Downs is already making his presence felt during his first offseason in the NFL. He and veteran defensive back PJ Locke have been putting in some extra work after practice to get ready for the season, turning heads both inside and outside of the building in Dallas.

On Thursday, Locke stated his championship goals as the reason for staying after practice for some extra work with Downs, via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News.

“We’ve got to deposit money every single day,” Locke said. “We don’t know the price of a championship.”

Locke knows a thing or two about playing for an elite defense after he came over to Dallas from the Denver Broncos in free agency. The Broncos have had one of the best secondaries over the last few seasons, so he knows what that standard looks like and is trying to bring it to Dallas.

The Cowboys still have a number of holes in the back end after a dreadful 2025 season, but signing Locke and adding Downs should help them improve tremendously in that department.

Downs is one of the most versatile players in this rookie class. He can play the run and the pass and plays multiple positions: deep safety, nickel and down in the box as more of a hybrid linebacker. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker should be able to deploy him in multiple ways, making him a player to watch this season.