Who Should I Start? Rashaad Penny or Tarik Cohen

Monday, May 6, 2:01 PM

Free-agent running back Rashaad Penny plans to sign an undisclosed deal with the Carolina Panthers, according to a source. The former first-round pick will reunite with head coach Dave Canales from their time together with the Seattle Seahawks. Penny will likely officially sign after the team's rookie minicamp, which wraps up on May 12. The 28-year-old from San Diego State was the 27th overall pick in 2018. Penny spent the first five years of his career in Seattle, displaying home run-hitting ability on the ground but struggling to stay healthy, appearing in just 42 games (11 starts). He played in just three games with the Eagles in 2023 and had only 11 carries for 33 yards. Penny will be joining another crowded backfield in Carolina that already consists of Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and rookie Jonathon Brooks, so he's not going to be on the fantasy radar.

Friday, May 10, 1:53 PM

The Carolina Panthers released veteran running back Tarik Cohen, who was attempting a comeback from a series of injuries that derailed his time as a Pro Bowl return man with the Chicago Bears. Cohen hasn't played in a regular-season game in the NFL since 2020, and it remains to be seen if he'll latch on with another club this offseason. The 28-year-old was a former fourth-round pick in 2017 by the Bears out of North Carolina A&T. He was never much of a ball-carrier at 5-foot-6, 181 pounds, but he excelled as a returner and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Cohen suffered an ACL tear in Week 3 of 2020 and also tore his Achilles in May of 2022. He spent most of last year on Carolina's practice squad but missed two months with a hamstring injury.