Panthers Pull Off the Heist of the Offseason: ESPN Calls Under-the-Radar Free Agency Move a Bargain
ESPN thinks a free agent move the Carolina Panthers made that some media analysts viewed as puzzling was actually a huge bargain for the franchise.
On Wednesday, the Panthers signed running back Rico Dowdle to a one-year deal.
Dowdle, who is from Asheville, NC, spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys after going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The former South Carolina Gamecocks standout had a breakout season for the Cowboys in 2024, rushing for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns while also catching 39 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns.
Some folks viewed signing Dowdle as “puzzling” mainly because the Panthers signed running back Chuba Hubbard to a four year contract extension this past November.
Carolina also selected running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Brooks, however, tore his ACL this past December. It’s unclear when he’ll be able to return to action.
ESPN feels like signing Dowdle to a one-year deal for $3 million was a bargain, giving the Panthers an “A-” for the move.
From ESPN: If you told me before free agency that Dowdle had signed with Carolina and nothing else, I’d prepare to be quite critical. This is a team that burned a second-round selection on Jonathon Brooks in last year’s draft then signed Chuba Hubbard to an extension during the season. Why bring in another free agent running back?
It turns out that there was a good reason: They got a bargain!
Dowdle recorded 61 rush yards over expectation last season for the Cowboys, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That’s more than Aaron Jones (plus-41), Najee Harris (minus-3) or Javonte Williams (minus-83). Dowdle caught 39 passes for 249 yards (one receiving yard over expectation) and was a shade above average in pass block win rate for a running back. But those are solid numbers — certainly better than those of Harris or Williams. Yet Harris got a couple of million dollars more, and Williams got Dowdle’s same contract from Dowdle’s old team.
$3 million is quite “cheap” for a running back that’s still in his prime and is coming off the best year of his career. These are the types of moves that fly under-the-radar in March, but end up paying huge dividends in the fall.
