The Dallas Cowboys have done a complete 180 in how they value the running back position. Perhaps they are waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike again, but this past offseason marked the second year in a row they committed minimal resources to their backfield.
Part of that process included letting 2024 leading rusher Rico Dowdle leave in free agency. The front office signed Javonte Williams before Dowdle ended up inking a deal with the Panthers. Dowdle got slightly more guaranteed money than Williams, but it wasn't enough to make Dallas' decision any less head-scratching.
Well, Dowdle hasn't wasted any time proving his worth to the Panthers. In Week of 1 preseason, Dowdle played 57 percent of the snaps with the starting offense, per Dwain McFarland of Fantasy Life.
Former Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle already eating into Chuba Hubbard's workload
McFarland noted that Dowdle was on the field for third-and-long situations, so it seems he will be Carolina's back on obvious passing downs. That's a logical decision from head coach and offensive play-caller Dave Canales, as starter Chuba Hubbard is not a prolific pass-catcher.
While Hubbard is one of the most underrated pure runners in the NFL, he turned 43 catches last season into just 171 yards. His 4.0 yards per catch was the worst among running backs who were targeted at least 40 times, per PFF (subscription required). With that in mind, it should not come as a surprise that Hubbard also ranked last with 0.51 yards per route run.
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Dowdle cleared Hubbard in all of those categories despite catching passes from backup Cooper Rush for half the season. In addition, Dowdle accounted for more first downs as a pass-catcher and had the seventh-highest passer rating when targeted (108.2) at the position.
While the Panthers got better on paper this offseason and should improve on their 5-12 record, they could still be playing from behind a lot. That's not to imply Hubbard won't play a single passing down all season, but it seems the coaching staff prefers Dowdle in that department.
In other words, the former Cowboy could be seeing the field a lot more than what was originally expected after he signed with the NFC South squad. The fact he is already eating into a top-10 RB's workload should have the front office kicking themselves.