ESPN analyst predicts best-case Rico Dowdle outcome as Panthers uncertainty grows

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle | Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesThe rumor mill is swirling around where running back Rico Dowdle could end up when he's inevitably allowed to leave by the Carolina Panthers in free agency.

Nothing has been confirmed one way or another. However, the signs point to general manager Dan Morgan letting the veteran take his chances elsewhere after just one season with the franchise.

Things fizzled out for Dowdle after taking the Panthers by storm earlier in the campaign. The former South Carolina star became a capable fill-in as Jonathon Brooks spent the year recovering from his second torn ACL on the same knee. With the 2024 second-round pick expected to return…