Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Roschon Johnson

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.

Thursday, August 7, 4:04 PM

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson (foot) was held out of Thursday's practice with a foot injury, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. It's unfortunate news for the former Texas Longhorn, as he's reportedly been the primary short-yardage and goal-line option throughout camp for Chicago. Backfield mate D'Andre Swift is slated to handle most of the backfield work for the Bears, although it isn't unlikely that head coach Ben Johnson might choose to deploy a similar sort of committee as he did during his time in Detroit. Injuries have limited Johnson throughout his first two seasons, and now he's in danger of missing Sunday's meeting with the visiting Miami Dolphins. Rookie rusher Kyle Monangai and sixth-year pro Travis Homer will see an uptick in snaps if that's the case. Johnson is currently being selected just outside the top 175 in drafts.