Rico Dowdle Presser | August 18, 2025

Rico Dowdle speaks with the media following Monday's practice.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hope on further review.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Here you go, how's it going? How about you good?

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Talk to Trevor the other day and he talked about
your communication at kick returner. What how do you guys
communicating the balls in the air and deciding on who
to go after the ball.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
So it's it's scheme wise and then kick direction wise.
So the ball going to his side, you just hold
out his hand, you know, he send him a signal
to the guys up front telling them who the blocking
things like that. So it's our scheme wise, and it
was coming to my side and just hoold my left
arm out the people up front. No, it's coming to me.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
It's playing running back. Help you it as a kick returner,
being able to see vision wise and cut.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
I think I think it helps a lot, honestly, because
like you said, it's in and out, small hole, small
creezes you gotta get through. So definitely I think vision
plays a part and to being effective on the kickoff return.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
So to run back the.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Kickoff return, for sure.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
You felt you've done so far in your preseason work, Oh.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
All right, I mean I haven't been able to get
much going, so just all right honestly, But coming to what.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Are your impressions of this offense in general from what
you've seen here to all during training camp.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Oh, that we got a lot of playmakers, honestly, all
over the place. We stacked in the receiving group, stacked
in the running back room, got Bryce out there, so
and we got great tight Ends're gonna get Tummy back
and JT had a great training camp. So honestly, that's
what I see a lot of playmakers. So we definitely
can have a dangerous offense for sure. So there was
a recent poll that ranked the running back room think

(01:35):
twenty eighth in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Did you see that? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:38):
I mean, what are your thoughts on that? Do you
think that people are sleeping.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
On on the sure?

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Definitely sleeping you know that's a that's an opinion. Honestly.
I don't really get caught up too much in it.
Only time will tell and we'll see when the season start.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Like, no, no, you've just done all right?

Speaker 1 (01:56):
What would good look like in your mind?

Speaker 3 (01:58):
Getting some explosives on? I mean I had a couple
of good catches, that was it. But I'm talking about
as far as running running game wise, hadn't really got
much going but you know, so good to look like
having some explosures, moving to change, getting some first downs
and things like that.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Uh do you how do you feel that you and
you wild compliment each other kind of from a change
of pace perspective.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
I honestly think with the way our offense ran were
pretty we got similar running styles honestly physical downhill runners
and things like that. But you know, I can't say
too much with we can both we'll be out there
during the season and things like that. But I think
we compliment each other well when we go in. When
I go in, I think it's no drop off in
the offense. So that's one thing that's gonna help us.
And then defense gotta stop it all four quarters.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
So help's just the talent and the offensive scheme and
everything you've got now compared to what you've had in
the past in the NFL.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
You know, I play in Dallas with a lot of
explosive people as well, with Dak cd and and Mari Cooper,
Michael Gallop and so I mean pretty much talent wise,
and things that we got to hear too were just
as explosive as I was only in Dallas, so for
five years just explosed with them. We got t Mac
and Xavier and Hunter Winfrow, Adam Thielen, d Mo got

(03:17):
so we explosed him so and then we got running
backs as well that can go in. So I think
we're gonna be top tier for sure.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
That same thing coming from Dallas's offensive line, the Panthers
offensive line that has had two years of consistency.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
What have you seen from the Panda's offensive line that
is kind of similar to what.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
You saw in Dallas.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
That was one of the reasons that I came here
just watching the old line. Know, they heavily invested in it.
And like you said, those guys have been consistent, and
Cooper was able to come off his best season and
me as well in Dallas. But those guys up front
worked hard and get the job done. So get Dlue
back out there, and you got Rob and Timo and
all those guys there, so they've been able to get
the get those o's hoped up. And it's a similar

(03:56):
scheme that I was in in Dallas. Outside zone, mid
zone type run scheme. So everything pretty much similar for me.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
So you're not too worried that the Panthers have only
scored one touchdown in two preseason games.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Oh no, not at all. You know, it's the preseason.
The games didn't go the way we wanted them to go.
Obviously want to go out there and, like I said,
get some points and move to change and things like that,
but we haven't been able to in those two preseason
and the limited reps that we got. But I think
we put in great work in the scrimmages and in
the practices against each other, and I think it all
pay off at the end.