Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Rico Dowdle

Monday, June 2, 12:36 PM

With trade speculation surrounding Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason, new head coach Liam Coen had nothing but positive things to say about the 26-year-old former first-rounder. When asked about Etienne's performance at OTAs this offseason, Coen said "(Travis) has done everything we've asked him to do and more... I don't understand some of the stuff I've seen out there, that's absolutely inaccurate." The Jags took rookie Bayshul Tuten in the fourth round of April's NFL draft, and then a report surfaced in May that the team wasn't very high on Etienne, which in turn led to trade rumors. Etienne had a second straight down year in 2025, carrying the ball 150 times for 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Even if he sticks around in Jacksonville, Etienne's fantasy stock is down, and he could lose more work to Tuten and Tank Bigsby.

Wednesday, March 12, 7:36 PM

The Carolina Panthers have signed free-agent running back Rico Dowdle on Wednesday. The two sides have agreed on a one-year, $6.25 million deal for the upcoming season. On paper, Dowdle is a good fit with the Panthers who certainly need depth behind Chuba Hubbard. Last season, Dowdle rushed for over 1,000 yards across 15 games with the Dallas Cowboys. It's also worth noting that Dowdle hauled in 39 receptions for 249 yards and three touchdowns through the air. This is a low-risk move that should help the Panthers while former second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) recovers from injury.