Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Isaiah Spiller

Saturday, August 9, 4:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle showed a glimpse of his potential as a pass-catching threat in the team's preseason debut against the Cleveland Browns, recording one reception for 20 yards to go along with two rushes for seven yards. The 27-year-old running back is entering his sixth season in the NFL after spending his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, which was riddled with injuries. Dowdle is clearly behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, but could carve out a role in the Panthers' receiving or two-minute offense in 2025. Coming off an underwhelming 2024 season in Dallas, where high hopes for the lead back role didn't materialize (235-1,079-2 on the ground, 39-249-3 in the air), a move to a new location and a backup role could take some pressure off Dowdle and allow him to grow into his potential. Rotoballer currently projects him as RB55, but Dowdle could be a sneaky stash if anything happens to Hubbard throughout the season.

Friday, April 25, 5:42 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders waived running back Isaiah Spiller, wide receiver Ramel Keyton, cornerback M.J. Devonshire, defensive tackle Tyler Manoa and linebackers Kana'i Mauga and Jackson Mitchell before the start of Round 2 of the 2025 NFL draft on Friday. Spiller, the former fourth-rounder by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022 out of Texas A&M, is by far the biggest name on this list of cuts for the Raiders. The 23-year-old didn't see the field at all in 2024 and will now hit the open market after the Raiders pulled the trigger and took Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6 overall in the first round on Thursday evening. In his two seasons with the Chargers in 2022 and 2023, Spiller had only 55 rushing attempts for 137 yards (2.5 yards per carry) and no touchdowns. He added nine receptions for 47 yards through the air. Spiller will now look to latch on with another team as RB depth.