Who Should I Start? Raheem Mostert or Rico Dowdle

Friday, February 14, 5:25 PM

The Miami Dolphins informed former Pro Bowl running back Raheem Mostert of his release on Friday, according to his agent, Brett Tessler. Mostert led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns and had a career-high 1,012 rushing yards on 209 carries for the Dolphins in 2023 as a first-time Pro Bowler, but he predictably came back down to Earth last season and finished with 85 carries, 278 rushing yards and two touchdowns while adding 19 catches for 161 additional yards in 13 games (one start). With the release of the 32-year-old veteran, Miami will clear $2.97 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season. De'Von Achane will once again enter the upcoming season as the Dolphins' primary back, but now he'll have Jaylen Wright as his primary backup. Mostert isn't likely to have a strong free-agent market and will most likely be a short-yardage, No. 2 back wherever he ends up.

Sunday, January 5, 9:23 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed 22 times for 72 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders. He also caught two of his three targets for an additional 12 yards through the air. Dowdle was quite impressive throughout the 2024 season, supplanting Ezekiel Elliott as the Cowboys' undisputed No. 1 running back. He finished the campaign with 1,079 rushing yards, 249 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns through 16 games, ranking as a low-end RB2 in fantasy football. There has been plenty of speculation that the Cowboys could take an aggressive approach with their pursuit of a running back this offseason, such as drafting Ashton Jeanty. However, there's also a real possibility they feel confident in Dowdle and don't take as big of a swing for a backfield addition within the upcoming months. The 26-year-old currently still has appeal as a mid-range RB3 option heading into the 2025 campaign, and until Dallas brings in competition, this backfield belongs to Dowdle.