CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers weren’t necessary looking to add a starting-caliber running back in free agency after giving Chuba Hubbard a four-year, $33 million contract extension last November.

They found one anyway.

Coach Dave Canales said he's been "ecstatic" since the Panthers signed Rico Dowdle in March, giving the team added depth in the backfield with a second 1,000-yard rusher. In so doing, they’ve added a highly motivated player who’s eager to prove that he’s still worthy of being a No. 1 back — and being paid like one — after the Dallas Cowboys opted not to re-sign him.

“I definitely thought I would have had the opportunity to get a shot with the ones this year, but it didn’t come down to that,” Dowdle said of his time on the free-agent market.

Some running back

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