Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Quinshon Judkins

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, August 8, 6:29 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins has waived his right to a speedy trial in his ongoing misdemeanor battery/domestic violence case, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. A second-round pick in the 2025 draft, Judkins has yet to sign his rookie contract with the Browns after being arrested in July. This latest update in the case means that a resolution is unlikely to happen quickly. Judkins' timeline for making his Browns debut is uncertain, and the team has made it clear that handling his legal issues is the priority. Without him, running backs Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson are set to share the majority of the backfield workload in Cleveland.