Bears Trade Proposal Sends Recent Cowboys 1,000-Yard RB to Chicago
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Rico Dowdle could be a trade option for the Bears.
Four weeks into the 2025 season, the Chicago Bears are averaging 102.3 yards per game, which is ranked 24th in the NFL heading into Week 5.
With RB1 D’Andre Swift and rookie seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai carrying the load, the Bears are averaging an unimpressive 3.8 yards per rush. Considering the unit just amassed a meager 69 yards and 2.7 per carry in Chicago’s Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago might want to use a chunk of its bye week to survey the running back landscape.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report thinks a “conditional 2026 7th-round pick” would be adequate compensation in a trade for RB Rico Dowdle, which would cost Chicago far less than, say, trying to trade for a player like Alvin Kamara. Knox named the Bears as one of two teams who fit as a logical trade partner.
Teams looking for a running back but are not interested in paying for a big name like Kamara should inquire about Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle,” Knox wrote on October 1. The former Cowboys starter signed a one-year deal with Carolina this offseason but hasn’t been a big part of the game plan. He’s caught five passes, logged 28 carries and tallied 103 yards with a touchdown.”
A Look a Dowdle’s Career Thus Far
Undrafted out of South Carolina in 2020, Dowdle made the Cowboys’ roster that year, playing entirely on special teams. He missed his 2021 campaign with a hip injury and most of 2022 with an ankle issue, but he finally carved out a role for himself in 2023. He finished with 89 carries for 361 yards and two touchdowns that year in a limited role before breaking out in 2024.
Last year, he had 235 carries for 1,079 rushing yards (4.6 per carry), also adding 39 catches for 249 yards and five total TDs. He signed with Carolina in March on a one-year deal worth up to $6.25 million, and through Week 4 he’s at 28 carries for 83 yards and a TD as the Panthers’ No. 2 back.
Dowdle has nice size at 5-foot-11 and 215-pounds, and turned 27 in June. He averaged 3.5 yards after contact last year—fifth among qualifying RBs by Next Gen Stats. In 2025, he’s working behind Chuba Hubbard while rookie Trevor Etienne rotates in, so there’s a chance Carolina would be willing to move him.
The Chicago Bears Should Try to Trade for Panthers RB Rico Dowdle
GettyRico Dowdle might be a perfect trade option for the Chicago Bears.
“Dowdle is, at worst, a high-end backup and does have depth value for Carolina,” Knox added. However, the 1-3 Panthers appear to be in the middle of another lost season and might as well get a longer look at rookie Trevor Etienne.
Dowdle is a low-frills guy with a north-south running style, and he’d be a better yards-after-contact player than Swift. The two would pair nicely together in Chicago’s backfield, as both are good pass-catchers and playmakers when the ball is in their hands. He wouldn’t need to be Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley — he’d just need to be a role player who’d give the Bears more options while also helping take the physical toll off Swift.
The fact that Dowdle is on a one-year deal should also interest the Bears. He could be a mid-season rental if he doesn’t workout or gel in the offense, and if Chicago likes him, he could be re-signed easily.
Plus, if all it would take to move him is a conditional future sixth- or seventh-round pick, the Bears should pounce. Dowdle isn’t a big name, but the Bears don’t need one, at least at RB. They need a reliable set of legs, and he could give them that.
Broncos Eligible to Get Two Key Players Back Off IR This Week
Through the first four games, the Denver Broncos' defense has had some great moments, but it has been highly inconsistent. The Broncos have failed to make plays at times, tackling has been an issue, and penalties have been problematic.
The good news? The Broncos have some reinforcements on the way.
Both defensive tackle Malcolm Roach and linebacker Drew Sanders are eligible to come off injured reserve this week. While there hasn’t been any official indication of either player actually being activated, both could be used if they're healthy enough to be called up.
The Broncos' defensive line has struggled against the run, and Roach was a key rotational player alongside D.J. Jones last year. While Eyioma Uwazurike has stepped up, he has been inconsistent, and Jordan Jackson was a healthy scratch against the Cincinnati Bengals.
That indicates Roach will be activated for the upcoming Week 5 game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. The Broncos can use him on the defensive line. It'll be a boost to the rotation and can help generate interior pressure and bolster the run defense inside, both of which are essential against the Eagles.
Drew Sanders
Sanders is a bit tougher to get on the field, as it's unclear whether he has improved as a run defender and in coverage. However, the linebacker play has been the biggest issue with the Broncos' defense. Alex Singleton has been
Sanders can help as a blitzer in the middle, something the Broncos have had issues with through the first four games. Singleton is one of the most blitzed linebackers, but he's picked up only two pressures, leading to a low pressure rate. Strnad has been more effective, with two sacks, but he hasn’t been used as a blitzer nearly as often.
So, with the Broncos' issues generating pressures with blitzing linebackers, that's the avenue for Sanders to get on the field, if he gets activated. He can also be a boost to the special teams unit, which has also been inconsistent through the first four weeks.
It's easy to see how Roach can help the defense, as he was a key cog for success last year, but Sanders is a lot tougher. There are ways he can help, but he is far harder to trust on the field because his play has been such an issue in coverage and against the run.
The Takeaway
There is a need for a change over Singleton, but Sanders may not be the right fit, especially without seeing it on the field first. Getting Sanders back may help, but it may be more limited in terms of how he can assist, especially on defense.
However, the Broncos need Roach back. They have had some questionable defensive front rotations, where the effectiveness wanes dramatically when the three starters come off the field.
Roach is a starting-caliber talent, based on his performance last year, so he should increase effectiveness when he rotates and provides the Broncos with another quality run defender inside, where they have had the most issues.
