Demar Dotson = Flexibility
April 4th, 2015
Flexibility.
Have your read this year that the Bucs have a subpar offensive line? You have? Surprising, no?
And that underperforming (Joe is in a nice mood) line is worse than when we last saw it at the Den of Depression.
Left tackle Anthony Collins was jettisoned and right guard Oniel Cousins is gone. So the Bucs have two big holes to fill.
Joe is skeptical of having Demar Dotson play left tackle. The nearly 30 year old has established himself as a productive right tackle. Until last season, Dotson never played left tackle during the regular season, but the Bucs don’t seem scared off from playing him there.
Answering a mailbag question to Buccaneers.com, multimedia maven Scott Smith claimed the fact the Bucs know Dotson can play left tackle, if needed, is actually a positive for the club.
Dotson’s four best games of 2013 were all at right tackle, but so were his three least successful games. We have a lot more information on which to judge him at RT; I’ve got to believe the jury is still out at LT. But let’s think of that as an opportunity. The Buccaneers are going to have one new starter at the two tackle spots in 2015, right? It could be 2014 rookie Kevin Pamphile, though he has very little experience so far. It could be a high draft pick, or a yet-to-be identified veteran found through free agency or the trade.
And it could be a player who is a particularly good fit at either right or left tackle. If you believe that Dotson is a known commodity on the right side and a possible solution on the left side, that gives you some flexibility in the players that you target. Given that Dotson was particularly effective as a pass-blocker last year, and that he has a good build for the left tackle spot, I’d personally like to see him get a more extended audition there. But I think the final solution for the Bucs’ front five in 2015 is going to involve some moving parts between now and September, and Dotson could end up moving with them.
Yes, if the Bucs were to find a stud right tackle on the market due to, say, a cap casualty, that would give them flexibility because Dotson can be pressed play the left side of the line.
But Joe just has all sorts of qualms about guys learning to play a position on the NFL level. That is often a recipe for disaster.
Can you say “Garrett Gilkey at center?”
April 4th, 2015 at 6:05 am
Pamphile is weak!!!!
Dont expect him to ever start.
Our two rookie lineman from last years draft got manhandled every time they stepped on the field.
Wasted draft picks if u ask me.
O-line in the fifth round? Yea could luck with that
April 4th, 2015 at 6:39 am
No matter where Dots starts, the Bucs face yet another year of trying to build OLine chemistry. Problem is, not only do the pieces keep moving, but most were not good pieces to begin with.
I just hope that the Bucs are willing to spend their Round 2 & 3 draft picks on some OLine help. Bringing in some 30-35 year old free agents may help buy time, but it just means we’ll keep adding and subtracting and moving pieces around every year. Not a proven recipe for success in the NFL.
April 4th, 2015 at 6:48 am
article synopsis; jack of all trades,master of none
April 4th, 2015 at 7:11 am
Just leave him at RT and draft a LT. It should be obvious.
Then draft Ali Marpet for Guard 🙂
April 4th, 2015 at 7:25 am
Pick #1 Winston….Pick #2 OT….(34th pick overall should be something special). Pick #3…. DE/ ILB/ or S.
April 4th, 2015 at 7:31 am
OMG…the news keeps getting worse….Dotson,bless his heart, is not an NFL LT,barely at RT….aging journeyman
OT…hey I woke up wondering if L&L are taking Jameis because he is the most “NFL ready” QB ( save their azz) and not the QB with the greatest upside and long term potential
April 4th, 2015 at 7:40 am
Dotson at LT and Pamphile at RT is a bad joke.
April 4th, 2015 at 7:49 am
Ali Marpet……put him in a Bucs jersey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U06MGNakBJk
April 4th, 2015 at 8:29 am
If you’re not in first place, then you’re in last.
April 4th, 2015 at 8:30 am
So let’s review Jason Licht’s performance since arriving.
He blew free agency last year.
Only one of his picks from last year has worked out SO FAR.
He only acquires 6th and 7th rounders in trades.
He announces he will cut players BEFORE seeking trades.
He has done nothing in this Free Agency.
His FA class of last year sucked, with only a couple exceptions, and 1 of those was a backup.
He ushered the entire offensive line out the door the moment he arrived, creating a huge group of needs, then failed to address them properly.
Now he’s doing the same to the secondary.
This year he has created so many needs we literally need to replace half the starting players that take the field during a game, and he addressed none during Free Agency, leaving it to fill 11 needs with 8 picks in the draft.
The only players he has brought in this year have been injury prone backup material, not starters. All of them.
April 4th, 2015 at 8:36 am
1) qb.2)collins,flowers,humphries,erving 3) marpet, tre jackson, cann 4) havenstein….lets tighten up a position somewhere
April 4th, 2015 at 8:41 am
I am so glad I cancelled my season tickets last year. It had been a hard decision, but looking back, it turned out to the a very wise one.
My boycott will continue this year, and I won’t be buying gear either. I might watch the games, not sure yet. I might also need a break from the high blood pressure moments so I don’t have a heart attack.
I really fail to see why my Bucs are so hard to run. I think Lovie is a good hire, but I think Licht and Frazier will drag him down.
We won’t be seeing a defensive turn around within a year like the cowboys did, unless they go all defense in the draft and skip taking a QB. We certainly will not see an offensive turn around even if they go all offense in the draft.
I predict 2-4 starters at best coming from this draft. 50 percent at best. We signed no real starters in free agency. That means 2-4 of 11 replacements might be successful ones. The rest will be filled with scrubs with injury histories.
And don’t try to sell me on Carter as MLB. He doesn’t have the stamina for a full season any more.
April 4th, 2015 at 8:44 am
I will say this though…they can increase this year’s draft potential if they take Winston by going after his FSU center in the 2nd round. As the 4th center on the list, he might well be there.
Then move EDS to guard, filling two roles.
IF I were Licht, I would get Wiz to come to tampa. That one signing would keep us from needing guard or center in the draft, and solve two needs.
April 4th, 2015 at 8:50 am
What do the Bucs 2013 terrible OLine and the 2014 unbearable to watch OLine have in common?
Demar Dotson starting at Tackle.
Being the “best” player on 2 historically bad Offensive lines does not a “good” lineman make.
Bucs need to invest TWO high draft picks (rounds 1>4) every year for the next 3 years (2015, ’16 and ’17) in order to properly fix the extreme mess that Dominik left us in up front.
How a GM can go 5 years without ever drafting an OLineman is literally beyond my comprehension.
It would certainly explain why said GM is no longer employed by an NFL team and probably never will be again though.
April 4th, 2015 at 9:01 am
Bonzai – the “FSU center” would be my 1st choice for LT unless there were plans to move way up the board to get someone better. Bucs are going to have to move up 6-10 spots to get Erving as it is – but I think it would likely be worth it.
All the best Tackles are likely to be off the board at #34 if the Bucs stand pat – so they have an important decision to make with their 2nd pick.
April 4th, 2015 at 9:01 am
Pickgrin Says
“Bucs need to invest TWO high draft picks (rounds 1>4) every year for the next 3 years (2015, ’16 and ’17) in order to properly fix the extreme mess that Dominik left us in up front.”
I thought it was Licht who got rid of the entire Offensive Line at the same time?
It may be popular to blame the last guy, but it simply isn’t true. Even if the previous offensive line were not great, the dumbest move was to get rid of the whole thing before replacing any of them.
And getting rid of Zuttah at center was the biggest mistake. Centers are the hardest spot on an oline to fill well. We ought to know that by now. Tampa has had some really bad centers.
Imagine how much better last year’s oline would have been with Mankins and Zuttah side by side.
Licht was the one who created the mess, by getting rid of the players before he should have. That’s on him.
What he should have done is get rid of Joseph and Penn only last year, then drafted a LT in the third round over Sims. Mankins replaced Joseph.
Then, we would have only needed a tackle or guard this year. See how easy that would have been?
And this year’s secondary is last year’s offensive line.
April 4th, 2015 at 9:03 am
To me, center is the most important spot on the line. Address that and it will solve multiple issues.
If the Bucs get Wiz, I could see that happening, Pickgrin.
April 4th, 2015 at 9:17 am
The amount of scrubs on the offensive and defensive lines is amazing. We have practice squad level players at right guard, left tackle and both defensive end positions. On top of that we currently have no middle linebacker after letting him go. At safety we have another practice squad player cimpeting with an injury prone back up that we brought in via free agency. At left guard we have an aging player who appears disinterested and not that good anymore. Our center is certainly nothing special and a right tackle who is below average and is bing considered for the left tackle position which is a more difficult spot.
As Bonzai said they will be lucky if they land more than two starters in the draft. As of right now I would suggest keeping Winston off the field in ’15 for his own safety. The good news is next year we won’t need a QB and we can actually trade down with that pick to draft as many linemen as possible.
April 4th, 2015 at 9:19 am
I am predicting we will have the number one pick in 2016 as well and that will probably fetch quite a bit.
April 4th, 2015 at 9:24 am
BuccaneerBonzai Says:
April 4th, 2015 at 9:01 am
“It may be popular to blame the last guy, but it simply isn’t true.”
“Licht was the one who created the mess”
——————————————————————————–
Licht most certainly contributed to the mess with the bad decision to trade Zuttah and the bad talent evaluation on Collins and EDS. But to say he “created” the mess when the former GM never drafted a Lineman in 5 years is not a proper reflection of how we got here in the 1st place.
April 4th, 2015 at 10:06 am
Agreed Bonzai with all that you said but giving up on your tickets. Understood if it was partly financial but With Winston at QB it should be an exciting year. They won’t draft him without making it a priority to fix the OL at some point, right?! I was so excited to see Gabe Jackson sitting there for the Bucs in the 3rd round and just fell off my seat when they picked RB, Sims instead. The Raiders took all my highest rated players in the draft and we finally were drafting before them in that round.
April 4th, 2015 at 10:10 am
Dotson is a solid right tackle, but not great at all. He’s a guy you’d rank in the 10-15 range of top right tackles. I just think it’s incredibly worrisome that their “plan” for the offensive line is hoping a nearly 30 year old makes a transition to one of the 3 toughest positions to play in the league. and then plugging in waiver wire scraps to fill in any remaining holes. It just seems like a throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick approach. I worry OL gets ignore again until the 4th or 5th round. Just can’t trust a guy who consistently ignore OLine in Chicago even though year after year it was terrible.
April 4th, 2015 at 10:44 am
Im predicting at least a top 10 draft position next year. It takes time, but at least the QB leader in Winston will be here…..driving that slow train thats coming….
April 4th, 2015 at 11:00 am
Demar Dotson = below average left tackle…
He is currently our best lineman…
Scarry stuff…
April 4th, 2015 at 11:07 am
@bucrightoff “seems like throwing things against the wall” That is exactly what it seems like. They didn’t seem to have a specific direction in free agency to address the biggest areas of need. I am sorry but when you let two defensive ends go you should have some type of game plan in place before you let them walk. Also, when you have one of the worst offensive lines in the history of the NFL you should have to address some of it in free agency! Are they really expecting to draft seven players and pick up some up drafted free agents to come in, start, and perform well. True lack of direction!
April 4th, 2015 at 11:27 am
“Can you say “Garrett Gilkey at center?”
OK Joe I call hyperbole. LOL Kenyatta Walker was even better than Gilkey.
Jeremey Trueblood was better than Garrett Gilkey. Hell O’Neill Cousins was far better than Garrett Gilkey.
Demar Dotson was a project. A very athletic large basketball player who had to learn football playing in the NFL. That’s a very tough challenge!!! He has excelled and considering that challenge and while he may be 30 he’s just now entering his prime due to lack of football experience. I think Dotson still has some upside left.
Don’t know that he’s going to be a great LT…but he might be able to hold his own. Jury is still out as Smith correctly points out.
I think Dotson is easlly our best OL right now. So lets draft our franchise QB and then trade up a dozen spots from 34th to nab our franchise LT.
Fix the RG hole and we have an OL!
As for Pamphile being weak….he’s now had an entire year with professional nutritionists and strength coaches to improve. Let’s see what he brings in August.
DJ Humphries my fave for LT has the quickest feet of any of the tackle prospects…knock on him was he played at 285 and was simply too small and weak. He came to the combine at 300+. Young guys have not yet filled out to their true potential sized. Both Humphries and Pamphile will grow bigger and stronger. They’re still young pups.
April 4th, 2015 at 11:43 am
Bucs fans melting down and it’s not even the draft…. patience is a virtue, gentlemen.
April 4th, 2015 at 11:50 am
Patience???
Dude we have sucked for over a decade!!!
What are you talking about???!!!???
F@#k patience!!! This team sucks!!!
April 4th, 2015 at 11:53 am
I could potentially see the Bucs turning into the Cowboys when it comes to the next few drafts. Get your franchise (hopefully) QB this year and a starting DE. We would prob be mediocre for 2 years (6-7 or 8-8) and use the mid first round picks and solidify the O line. And if the NFC south can just suck a liiiitle bit longer-we’re on our way!
April 4th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
@Mac
Sorry got to agree with SOCAL.
You said….Dude we have sucked for over a decade!!!
Uh not really. We won two division titles in the past ten years and ironically both of them occurred when we had finished last the year before.
We won ten games in another of those ten but missed the playoffs. We won 9 in another year again missing the playoffs.
You could argue we’ve sucked for 4 years but not 10.
In addition history is on our side. We won both division titles after finishing 4-12 and 5-11 the year before.
If we draft Fameis and get a franchise LT along with him we are turning the corner from suckitude and have just as good a chance of winning our division once again as any other team in our division non of which is exactly overloaded with talent either..
There are some solid off field reasons for being optimistic. Our downturn coincided with the Glazers being distracted both financially and organizationlly by their Man U HIGHLY LEVERAGED purchase. The economy has improved interest rates are historically cheap and the Glazers are no longer under that ManU pressure. You see that in the money they spent (wasted) last year .
And again I don’t think you can overstate the difference a seasoned NFL OC will make compared to a college QB coach in that position.
Lovie most certainly had to give Koetter some autonomy in calling the offense or he would have takend a different offer. Do we really thiink anybody on the Bus had ANY faith in Arroyo from game planning to game day play calling?
April 4th, 2015 at 12:09 pm
Fools!!!
How many play off games have the Bucs won since 2002?
April 4th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
I am done with being patient!!!
This offensive line has sucked for five seasons and they still can’t get it right!!!
I’m utterly disgusted!!!
April 4th, 2015 at 12:17 pm
Worst teams in the NFL the past ten years…
1) Cleveland
2) Oakland
3) Washington
4) Jacksonville
5) Tampa
We probably aren’t the worst but we are really bad…
Just growing tired of cheering for a loser and being uninterested by week 6…
Its lame…
April 4th, 2015 at 12:21 pm
We need to be patient, it takes time to develop young players. I’m a fan of Pamphile, he was up and down, but he didn’t embarrass himself out there and that is a good thing for being a 3rd day pick. I’m excited to see Kadeem Edwards out there. I think with some good coaching, he can be an effective starter in time.
April 4th, 2015 at 12:22 pm
SoCal I am wondering what we need to be patient for? I was excited to see what line help we were going to bring in free agency. When they didn’t happen things started looking very bleak.
April 4th, 2015 at 12:54 pm
1st- Winston
2nd- Clemmings
3rd- Marpet
April 4th, 2015 at 2:31 pm
@ st. Pete
I hope ur right…
April 4th, 2015 at 4:21 pm
Let’s just hope they figure out the starters by time preseason starts so they can start jelling then, and maybe be ready for week 1, not week 15.
April 4th, 2015 at 7:49 pm
The O-line got worse? I thought the team still had the lawn chair they used to replace cousins. I would figure they at least have an office chair (yeah, on wheels, I know) or a folding chair somewhere and that would still be a better line than with cousins on the field.