Gamecocks in the NFL: Rico Dowdle catches on with Cowboys, Joseph Charlton wins job
A pair of undrafted Gamecocks have made it through NFL’s annual cut day on 53-man rosters.
Punter Joseph Charlton has won the starting job with the Carolina Panthers after the team cut Kaare Vedvik on Saturday, while running back Rico Dowdle has caught on with the Dallas Cowboys after an impressive training camp in which he stood out to observers.
Charlton’s success comes at a position where many talented players leave the college ranks and finds themselves on the outside looking in because of the NFL’s limited spots.
The A.C. Flora product made his mark in Columbia with a booming leg, starting three seasons for Will Muschamp’s squad. His career average of 45.5 yards per punt is a school record, and he was at 47.7 in 2019. He led a punting unit that ranked 10th in net yards last season, and at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, he’s an unusually tall punter.
Charlton is not the only former Gamecock specialist to be involved in roster turnover lately. On Tuesday, Elliott Fry, USC’s record-holder for most career points, was cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who then signed another Carolina great, veteran kicker Ryan Succop.
Succop’s roster spot was locked in Thursday, when the Bucs cut the only other kicker on their training camp roster, Matt Gay.
Dowdle, meanwhile, will be the third running back option on the Cowboys’ roster after a career at USC where he finished 15th on the program’s all-time rushing list but struggled sometimes with injuries.
In his senior season, Dowdle was second on the team with 108 carries for 498 yards and four rushing touchdowns. His most productive season came as a freshman, when he ran 133 times for 764 yards and six touchdowns.
Another formerly undrafted Gamecock made a roster Saturday, as defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth caught on with the Indianapolis Colts after two seasons with the New Orleans Saints. And linebacker T.J. Brunson, who was taken in the seventh round this past spring, made the cut with the New York Giants.
With the 4 p.m. deadline for 53-man rosters to be submitted passed, it appears that around 24 former South Carolina stars have made the initial rosters. Below, we’ve listed the names we tracked closest in bold, with those who were cut in italics.
Gamecocks in the NFL
Below is a list of all the South Carolina players on training camp rosters, with the ones on the cusp in bold. Those that have been cut are in italics.
Jerell Adams, tight end — Baltimore Ravens PRACTICE SQUAD
Zack Bailey, guard — Tampa Bay Buccaneers PRACTICE SQUAD
T.J. Brunson, linebacker — New York Giants SAFE
Damiere Byrd, wide receiver — New England Patriots SAFE
A.J. Cann, guard — Jacksonville Jaguars SAFE
Joseph Charlton, punter — Carolina Panthers SAFE
Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end — Tennessee Titans SAFE
Jared Cook, tight end — New Orleans Saints SAFE
Pharoh Cooper, wide receiver — Carolina Panthers SAFE
Dennis Daley, offensive tackle — Carolina Panthers SAFE
Mike Davis, running back — Carolina Panthers SAFE
Patrick DiMarco, fullback — Buffalo Bills PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE
Rico Dowdle, running back — Dallas Cowboys SAFE
Bryan Edwards, wide receiver — Las Vegas Raiders SAFE
Tavien Feaster, running back — New York Giants CUT
Rashad Fenton, cornerback — Kansas City Chiefs SAFE
Stephon Gilmore, cornerback — New England Patriots SAFE
Hayden Hurst, tight end — Atlanta Falcons SAFE
Melvin Ingram III, defensive end — Los Angeles Chargers SAFE
Alshon Jeffery, wide receiver — Philadelphia Eagles SAFE
Johnathan Joseph, cornerback — Tennessee Titans SAFE
Javon Kinlaw, defensive tackle — San Francisco 49ers SAFE
Chris Lammons, cornerback — Kansas City Chiefs PRACTICE SQUAD
Kyle Markway, tight end — Pittsburgh Steelers CUT
Skai Moore, linebacker — Indianapolis Colts OPTED OUT
Keisean Nixon, cornerback — Las Vegas Raiders SAFE
Deebo Samuel, wide receiver — San Francisco 49ers SAFE
Brandon Shell, offensive tackle — Seattle Seahawks SAFE
Kobe Smith, defensive tackle — Tennessee Titans PRACTICE SQUAD
Taylor Stallworth, defensive tackle — Indianapolis Colts SAFE
Ryan Succop, kicker — Tampa Bay Buccaneers SAFE
D.J. Swearinger, safety — New Orleans Saints SAFE
D.J. Wonnum, defensive end — Minnesota Vikings SAFE
This story was originally published September 5, 2020 at 1:36 PM.
