First-year Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle played with some big-time playmakers during his time with the Cowboys, including CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Amari Cooper.
The Panthers may not have as many big names as the Cowboys did during Dowdle’s five seasons there, but the former South Carolina star believes the Panthers are just as talented.
“I mean, pretty much, talent wise, we’ve got it here, too,” Rico Dowdle recently said. “We’re just as explosive as... I was only in Dallas for five years. We’re just as explosive as them.”
That is obviously a strong statement as the Panthers have had seven consecutive losing seasons, while the Cowboys finished 12-5 three straight years, before falling to 7-10 in 2024.
With that said, the Panthers have upgraded their talent on offense in recent years.
Dowdle topped the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career this past season, and the Panthers drafted receivers in the first round each of the past two years in Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan.
There is reason for optimism in Carolina, even if most people don’t expect the Panthers to be as talented as the Cowboys.
“We’ve got T Mac and Xavier and Hunter Renfrow, Adam Thielen, [David Moore]. We’re explosive,” Dowdle said. “And then we’ve got running backs, as well, that can go in.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.