The acquisition of offensive lineman Kevin Dotson has proven to be one of the Los Angeles Rams’ best moves thus far this season. Since Week 4, Dotson has started at right guard and has established himself as one of the NFL’s best all-around offensive linemen. From the moment he started playing regularly for the Rams, Dotson has been rated as the fifth-highest guard by Pro Football Focus.
Dotson wasn’t exactly viewed as a bust in Pittsburgh, but he was being phased out as the team added Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo in free agency. There were only five spots available on the offensive line, so someone had to be phased out, and Dotson was that player.
Les Snead, general manager, stated on the Sean McVay show on Monday that the talks for Dotson really began during the Allen Robinson trade. Snead continued, saying that Dotson’s early years in Pittsburgh were valued by the Rams, who also commended him for his work performance.
Snead has discovered an offensive lineman through the trade market twice now after an offensive lineman for another team proved to be unproductive. The first instance occurred when he acquired Austin Corbett via trade back in 2019. Although Dotson lacked Corbett’s lineage, he was the kind of offensive lineman the Rams were seeking as they adjusted their run game.
Last week, Dotson and Trench Warfare substack leader Brandon Thorn conducted a film analysis. Without a doubt, I advise subscribing and viewing the film room. When it comes to offensive line analysis, Thorn is among the greatest. Why has it worked out so well in Los Angeles, he asked Dotson. Dotson stated,
“It’s important to just be able to get back on track, in my opinion. It wasn’t until I was able to play it again that I realized how much being back at right had changed my situation. After a week of practice, it suddenly occurred to me that I should be on the right side. They even said that my best years were in Pittsburgh when I was able to play the right. Moving to the left, I think I did okay there, but it seemed more natural for me to be at the right. I had to learn something completely new when they switched me to the left. I think a lot of offensive linemen know that going from right to left when you play right since high school, you have to do a lot of re-wiring. Being able to get back to right made a huge difference for me.”
Dotson spent nearly all 3,400 of his playing time at Louisiana as a right guard. But aside from his rookie season, in which the split was nearly equal, Dotson was mostly used on the left side by the Steelers. His best year was his rookie campaign, particularly in terms of pass protection. Given that the majority of his prior experience had come from the right side, it makes sense that he would feel more at ease there. There is a perception that offensive linemen have little trouble switching from guard to tackle or from the right side to the left side. While this may be the case for certain players, others have a preference for a particular side or position.
Once more, I wholeheartedly urge you to watch the video. The YouTube video is a five-minute teaser for an almost one-hour interview and analysis of the movie. Thorn and Dotson analyze the play below from the Week 4 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts in the preview. Dotson made his debut for the Rams at that point.
Dotson stated the following regarding the Rams offense:
“There’s not a lot of reading in this outside zone, so I feel like it’s a little different. There isn’t much planning involved in who you will meet. You already know who you’re going to see, so all you’re considering right now are the angles.I get to run at full speed and now I can go as hard as I can, so it feels more like a power play than a finesse play. I believe I just enjoy certain parts of it.Although we never really used the mid-zone in Pittsburgh, I enjoy the way the play works because it allows you to always have a cutback. You don’t really have to stop somebody from going a certain way. I think that makes the block way easier than really having to muscle somebody out of there.”
This offseason, the Rams will have to make an intriguing choice regarding Dotson. They have previously chosen not to pay guards when they possibly ought to have. The Rams did not re-sign Rodger Saffold after 2018. They had already made that choice once before. Saffold and the Raiders had an agreement in 2014, and if they hadn’t failed his physical, he would have signed with them.
The Rams made the decision to not re-sign Austin Corbett following the 2021 campaign. In 2022, the outcome was catastrophic.
Would the Rams learn from their past mistakes or make the same choice with Dotson this offseason? Dotson’s free agency value was estimated by PFF last week to be more than $17 million annually. It could be argued that paying that much to sign Dotson would be an overcorrection of past errors.
PFF claims that Dotson has had difficulty during the last three weeks. In the game against the Baltimore Ravens, he allowed a season-high six pressures. Having said that, it’s also probably no coincidence that his three worst performances have occurred during the times when Joe Noteboom has been the starting right tackle.
To put it another way, the Rams offensive line has an EPA per play of -0.09 when Noteboom has been the right tackle. That rises to 0.09 when Rob Havenstein is at right tackle. That now indicates Havenstein’s worth rather than Dotson’s. Having said that, when they are on the field together, Havenstein and Dotson rank among the best offensive line tandems on the right side.
Rob Havenstein should return to the Rams this week. It will be interesting to observe Dotson’s reaction to that.