North Charlotte Today

Jonathan Stewart, a former Panthers player, recently shared his thoughts on the team's new backfield pairing. The Panthers signed Rico Dowdle from the Cowboys last week, and Stewart is optimistic about the potential of this duo alongside Chuba Hubbard.

Stewart reflected on Dowdle's performance, recalling when he witnessed Dowdle rush for 149 yards in a game. "I thought to myself, why aren't the Cowboys keeping him?" Stewart said. He praised Dowdle as a "really good runner" with "explosive play ability."

Last season, Dowdle accumulated 1,079 rushing yards and 1,328 yards from scrimmage with the Cowboys. Pairing him with Hubbard, who ran for 1,195 yards and had 1,366 from scrimmage last year, seems promising for the Panthers.

Stewart compared this situation to when he and DeAngelo Williams both surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a single season for the Panthers in 2009. He noted that their combined efforts helped maintain team stability despite challenges at quarterback.

The former player also highlighted how maintaining continuity on the offensive line could benefit the team. The return of key linemen such as Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen is seen as an advantage. Stewart remarked on having an offensive line built for running: "If you have an offensive line that's built to have a run game, why not run it when you can?"

He believes that adding Dowdle will relieve some pressure off Hubbard. "The best formula for that is always having two guys in the backfield that can spell each other and not miss a beat," Stewart concluded.