There was always the possibility that, by signing Dowdle as a free agent this offseason and pairing him with Hubbard and putting two 1,000-yard backs on the same roster, this competition would arise.
But for the two guys at the center of the conversation, it’s less a competition and more an exciting opportunity to change the look of the Panthers’ offense.
“I think just getting us both the ball, having us both on the field at the same time, things like that,” Hubbard said of what a dream scenario with both guys would look like. “Obviously we’re both very talented players, so like I said, no matter who’s on the field, we know, it’s going to count, it’s going to hurt. So, it’s a blessing to have such a great room.
“I feel like everybody in the RB room, everyone has their own style, but I think one thing that’s, I guess something we formulated across the room is everyone runs with intent, everyone’s aggressive, everyone runs violent, so that’s something that I can say we all do.”
And the real dream scenario, Hubbard continued, would be to get rookie Trevor Etienne—who has 15 carries for 76 yards spelling Hubbard and Dowdle—on the field with them at the same time.
“Any time you can put us on the field like I said, I mean, let’s do it,” said Hubbard. “Obviously we have some young guys as well that are doing a great job, Trevor, so I think we joke about it sometimes, having a three back set or something like that, but stuff like that would be fun, no doubt.”