The Dallas Cowboys aren’t known for making big moves in free agency and during the offseason, and that trend seems to be somewhat continuing as the 2025 NFL league year officially starts. The team has actually been a bit more active than in previous offseasons, with the Cowboys making a handful of signings. But, they’ve also lost some key players, including DeMarcus Lawrence, who found a new home with the Seattle Seahawks on a three-year, $42 million deal. With that kind of money, the Hawks obviously see something in Lawrence that the Cowboys couldn’t get out of him.
Now, on top of Lawrence, the Cowboys have lost another key player.
Dallas Cowboys Lose Promising Player to Panthers
Promising Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle, who is something of a fan favorite, has secured a one-year deal with the Panthers, according to NFL insider and expert Ian Rapoport.
“The #Panthers are giving Rico Dowdle a 1-year deal worth up to $6.25M in a deal done by @davidcanter and @NessMugrabi of @aurasportsgroup,” according to Rapoport.
According to Joe Person of The Athletic, Dowdle is getting a $3 million deal with added incentives that could make it more like $6.25 million.
Jerry Trotta of The Laundry Hat calls $3 a “great value” for the player, and the move got a great grade from ESPN analyst Seth Walder with an A-.
“It was widely expected Dowdle would have a hotter market after a breakout year in which he rushed for 1,076 yards on 4.6 yards per carry,” Trotta writes in a March 12 feature. “While he was oft-injured early in his career he has stayed healthy the last two seasons. He’ll turn 27 in July but only has 331 carries of wear and tear.”
Trotta adds that during his time in Dallas, “Dowdle didn’t get the significant role he (seemingly) desired and the Cowboys paid an arguably lesser running back for the same price. Again we ask: why didn’t Jerry Jones just pay Dowdle?”
Grading the Dallas Cowboys (So Far)
There’s plenty of time left in the offseason, but so far, Mauricio Rodriguez of A to Z Sports is giving the team a low grade for their offseason moves. Again, it’s early, so don’t get too depressed looking at this score.
Rodriguez’s overall grade for the team’s move is a C-. That’s still a passing grade, right?
The team’s signings along with losing Jourdan Lewis and Chauncey Golston to free agency is why Rodriguez gave the team a C- in free agency, and he also says that he could “argue you could go lower.”
“Simply put, the roster is getting worse,” he said. “As Jerry Jones foreshadowed last week, they haven’t filled any voids other than making moves for depth. Meanwhile, Dallas is down a starting nickel cornerback and a starting edge rusher…”
He added, “We’ll see if they can bounce back over the next few weeks. But at the end of the day, it’s hard to bet on it. The Cowboys told us they weren’t going to be aggressive this offseason. Once again, finances are taking a priority over improving the football team. These are the front office’s true colors and it shouldn’t be a surprise.”
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