Cowboys Roster Bubble: What everyone is missing about Caleb Downs’ potential jersey number change and who it really hinges on
Dallas Cowboys first-round rookie Caleb Downs doesn’t appear to be thrilled about his jersey number. Here’s who a potential change likely hinges on.
Yeah, Caleb Downs is not a fan of wearing No. 13, and it shows.
In a recent interview with The Jrny Media (which you can watch below), the Dallas Cowboys’ first-round pick was the least excited player out of Ohio State when looking at his first official jersey. And he wasn’t really hiding it, either.
“I mean, it’s tough, honestly,” Downs said when asked how he felt about seeing the jersey for the first time. “It’s my first time really seeing the 13 on it, like on a real one. This looks a little big, like it’s an XL or something.”
Downs’ jersey number has been a big talking point since the Cowboys drafted him—a symptom of being a player the fanbase is really excited about. But Caleb isn’t necessarily shutting down the conversation.
When asked how long he plans to keep No. 13, Downs declined to end the conversation.
“We’ll see,” he added. “I’m just going to leave it at ‘we’ll see.”
Here’s the likely hold up with Downs’ number
Downs started wearing No. 18 at rookie minicamp before changing it to No. 13, but fans aren’t a big fan of the number for a safety. Specially considering he was so prolific with No. 2 in college.
But here’s the thing: Downs is expected to wait for the dominoes to fall, according to his own father, Gary Downs.
And I believe people are missing the most important piece of the puzzle: safety Markquese Bell.
After all, No. 2 is currently occupied by cornerback Cobie Durant, who would likely prefer No. 14 as it’s the number he wore with the Los Angeles Rams and in college. But 14 is taken by Bell.
The fascinating part of it is that Bell is one of the biggest roster questions ahead of the offseason. He has been a promising safety for Dallas who once even started eight games at linebacker. Last year, he finished third on the Cowboys in special teams snaps.
But now, the safety room has been rebuilt and it’s only fair to assume he’s behind Downs, Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson, and P.J. Locke. In other words, he must convince Dallas to go long at the position to stick around.
It may be one of those battles that comes down to the wire. If Bell winds up being cut, I could see Durant and Downs changing numbers to 14 and 2, respectively.
So next time you wonder why Downs is being so non-committal to No. 13, keep in mind things could change depending on how things play out. But be careful about buying a jersey too soon.