Rams 'Always Loved' Kevin Dotson, Attempted Steelers Trade for 'Most' of Preseason
Throughout their disappointing 5-12 record a season ago, the Los Angeles Rams battled offensive line troubles and never saw the situation improve, allowing the third-most sacks in the NFL with 59.
Determined not to fall victim to the same troubles for the second consecutive year, Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay placed an emphasis on bringing in offensive linemen this offseason ... and the trend continued this past week with the acquisition of guard Kevin Dotson via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Across the past two seasons, Dotson earned the start at left guard in all 26 games he appeared in for the Steelers. He had an inconsistent 2022 campaign, being flagged for the second-most penalties in the league with 12 and giving up four sacks, tied for 14th-most, per Pro Football Focus.
Still, the Rams are fond of what Dotson brings to the table; this preseason, he saw time on the right side of the offensive line, and his extensive starting experience adds a valuable presence to the room ... but even then, McVay liked his skill set long before either of those factors entered the conversation.
“I've always loved his game," McVay said. "I think his toughness, his ability to be productive in both phases, both the run and the pass, his size, some of the ways that they played in Pittsburgh was something that made it a funny evaluation for us. He can play both the left and the right side ... (and) certainly adds interior depth for us."
McVay added that the injury woes of last year serve as a prominent reminder that "you can't have enough depth" up front, which led to the Rams boasting 10 offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster.
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The challenge now facing Los Angeles is trying to get Dotson acclimated to the offense prior to the regular season kicking off on Sept. 10, with his late arrival creating a quick turnaround.
But the Rams tried to make this move happen much sooner - Snead revealed that he tried to trade for Dotson "for most of the preseason," but Pittsburgh wanted to hold off until it officially survived training camp at full health up front.
The 26-year-old Dotson has long been a target for the Rams, though the process really started after the Steelers signed several offensive linemen in free agency and drafted two more in April.
And so, Snead and staff identified the Steelers as plausible targets if they felt the offensive line needed improvement - and evidently, they reached this point earlier this preseason.
Snead's interest in Dotson stems, at least in part, from the reputation Steelers offensive linemen have, as Los Angeles' Super Bowl-winning general manager cited toughness and a north-south running style that makes them fun to watch.
Thus, with both Snead and McVay on board, Dotson became a hot commodity for the Rams - but is he going to start? That's still to be determined, per Snead.
"Right now, let's get him up to speed and then from that point we'll see where he fits in and what ends up being our best five along the way,” Snead said.
The 6-4, 322-pound Dotson drew praise from Sneed for his ability to anchor in the pocket, a key trait for interior offensive linemen, and McVay believes he uplifts the entire room.
But there's still an element of unknown that won't go away until the Rams get a larger body of work with Dotson in person and understand how he works and fits inside the locker room, which has McVay eager to meet his new mauler.
"I'm really looking forward to being able to have a better idea of 'what does he look like in person? How does he learn? What are the things that he does best?' But there was a lot of fun tape to evaluate that we feel like he certainly comes in and gives us an opportunity to upgrade the totality of our roster," McVay said.
The next several days will prove vital as the Rams get to know Dotson and vice versa ... but there's plenty of mutual optimism that this partnership can be fruitful.
Really, it feels like a matter of when, not if, Dotson gets to suit up for Los Angeles ... and his first chance to do exactly that comes next Sunday, when the Rams travel to Lumen Field for a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 1:25 p.m. PST.
