Demar Dotson: I’m Not Ready (Yet)
June 21st, 2010
In a refreshingly honest statement that likely sent shivers up the spine of Bucs new media relations director and former Republican strategist Jonathan Grella (Joe noticed the other night that extreme cutie Margaret Hoover, who likes to bounce up and down in her chair when she gets excited which Joe finds to be a guilty pleasure, was referred to as a “Republican strategist.” Joe figured if that label is good enough for that hottie Hoover, then it’s good enough for former beltway insider Grella), erstwhile Donald Penn replacement Demar Dotson claims he’s not ready to be a starter.
Yet.
Dotson, green, raw but huge at 6-9, 315, has very limited football experience. Either the Bucs are doing a fine spin job on the former basketball player or Dotson is impressing just about everyone but himself with his play in OTAs and minicamp.
So much so, with Penn’s immediate future very much in doubt, the Bucs have thrown Dotson’s development into overdrive, so documents Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line coach Pete Mangurian spent at least 15 minutes Monday morning working individually with left tackle Demar Dotson.
Dotson has received all the first-team reps this offseason because Donald Penn, a restricted free agent, refuses to sign a one-year tender worth more than $3 million. The extra work for Dotson is necessary because he has limited football experience and even Dotson isn’t sure he’s ready to protect the blind side of franchise quarterback Josh Freeman.
“I’m not saying I’m a good left tackle. I don’t even know if I’m a starting left tackle or not at this moment. If you ask me, I’m not,” Dotson said Monday, after the first practice of mandatory minicamp. “I’m working at it, taking these reps while Penn is away and I look forward to Penn getting here soon and protecting Josh’s blindside.”
Why is this refreshing to Joe (more so than watching Hoover bounce up and down?) far too often Joe hears athletes of all sports spout off how they can do (X). Yet when given the opportunity, they stink worse than a goat.
In Joe’s eyes, if the Bucs actually believe Dotson is that talented and Dotson believes he needs more work, that tells Joe that Dotson is a perfectionist striving to be the best he can be.
In that scenario, everyone comes out a winner.
And it doesn’t take a Democratic lapdog to figure that out.
June 21st, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I see Joe’s point as to why it sounds refreshing. It is also a bit scary. Either he is a perfectionist who thinks he needs to get better and better or he has no confidence and is struggling. Who knows, probably somewhere in between. The people who see this as very scary got to be the BUCs management who are trying to stand their ground against Penn. Their ground just shook a little and Penn is smiling.
June 21st, 2010 at 3:20 pm
They better start working with Freeman to get him to throw left-handed because they are screwed without Penn.
I wonder if Penn bought dinner for Dotson the other night? Dotson’s comments seem to give Penn a little more leverage, at least from a public opinion standpoint.
June 21st, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Dotson was an intriguing prospect when we signed him last year. Nice take on his quotes, also, Joe. To often athletes are all ego. Really nice to see a little humility when talking about his career. Penn will be back sometime before the season starts, but all these extra reps are going to give Dotson a chance to really develop. A chance he wouldn’t have had if Penn was in camp! From that point of view, this could turn out to be a good thing! Stay at it Demar, it’s the oportunity of lifetime!
June 21st, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Would be a great article if your political views were kept to yourself.
June 21st, 2010 at 4:34 pm
I thought they were Republican lapdogs!
Yuck, they are the worst( chair bouncing to be judged under a different category)
June 21st, 2010 at 4:49 pm
A whole 15 minutes of individual time? Stop the presses. It should be 2 hours a day if Penn isn’t going to sign anytime soon.
June 21st, 2010 at 5:56 pm
A guy that was a basketball player in college. no football experience. yeah, the perfect replacement for Penn.
If Penn doesn’t play, bring in a solid proven veteran guy like Flozell Adams as a short term fix. Or at least for competition. Dotson is too big of a risk. Both for Freeman’s career and the team.
Unfortunately, this is the best the Buccaneers can do. A guy that no one else would want of course, and one that has to be TAUGHT the game of football. He’s our second string guy! But I bet he sure didn’t cost anything. God, when you look at our depth, it’s just plain ugly all over the roster. Just cause the Buccaneers like him doesn’t mean he’s good. Have you people noticed that Raheem likes everybody??? Since when does anyone trust him on anything? He said that freaking “Kareem Huggins” was the driving force of the football team. A guy that has never even played a down.
June 21st, 2010 at 9:44 pm
I am hoping Dotson and Hardman and Fulton are getting more reps with Penn out. Will they be good be okay stink? I am not sure, but we didnt know about Penn either until he went in and played, after all it is the only way to see what you will do whrn the shells start going off aimed right at you.
Again not good for Freeman or our running game… well our running game was not that good to the left side anyway….. but what can you do.
Yeah sign another aging near past his prime or way past it LT. Didn’t we go through this before… must be flash backs or something… How again did this work out for us with them?
would love to have Penn on the field and working with the 1st string OL but he is not so we put the next guy into that position, is that person as good as a 1st string player, NO! but only way to get better is to practice and learn. hard to do when your not running with the big dogs your just watching from the yard..
Keep at it Dotson, Hardman, Fulton work work work, your on the field and putting in the Blood Sweat & Tears…
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Penn will sign when the money is on the line…..game checks pay a lot of bills. Miss a few of those and he willl start to think that maybe all of the bravado was will advised.
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
One thing we have learned about Dotson. He’s a great teammate. When you are a veteren in the middle of a contract hold out, the last thing you wanna here is some young player bragging that he can do you job. Compromises you position, and causes real hard feelings on the team. Dotson supported Penn to the point of almost hurting himself. Totally turned public opinion in Penn’s favor. Now that’s a guy you can trust in the trenches. I hope he develops into a great player, looks like he is already someone who puts his teammates above himself. A rare thing in the “me first” Era
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Jonathan Grella should be used to working with players not ready for their jobs and always putting thier foots in their mouths. Afterall, he had Sarah Palin to cover for a couple of years ago. Donald Penn is smilng somewhere.
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:31 pm
drdneast:
Actually, Grella worked for Tom Delay.