Dotson Returns But Should Stay On Bench
November 10th, 2015
Joe thinks it’s a no-brainer that Bucs right tackle Gosder Cherilus should keep his job as a starter.
Demar Dotson, who hasn’t played since injuring his knee August 15, was reactivated yesterday, and Joe sees no reason to rush the guy back on the field.
First, despite what the Pro Football Focus crowd and various media types believe, Dotson is not a special player. He may not even be an average player.
Second, Dotson is now 30 years old coming off a significant knee injury. That combination is a death sentence for many careers.
But most important, the Buccaneers’ offensive line has chemistry. It’s playing very well as a unit. Every football man Joe has ever spoken to says that chemistry is critical on an O-line. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter event emphatically told Tampa Bay media last week that the gelling and familiarity of the line is more important than people think.
Joe would have a different attitude if Dotson was a unique talent or developing player. But he’s not.
Cherilus may not be playing so great, either, but he is a veteran of 108 NFL starts and has plenty to teach Ali Marpet next to him. Jameis Winston, America’s Quarterback, has been sacked just 10 times in the past seven games.
Also, Dotson can be an effective backup left and right tackle. So he’s got good value on the bench. There’s no shame in being a backup.
Dotson will earn peanuts in 2016. Let him come back fresh and hungry to win a job in a contract year.
November 10th, 2015 at 10:03 am
Is this his last year under contract?
November 10th, 2015 at 10:27 am
However Ali Marpet may not be playing…..opens up the possiblity of Dotson playing somewhere on this line.
November 10th, 2015 at 10:59 am
joe is making too much of dotson’s injury, i think. it was not a catastrophic injury, and if he looks like the better player in practice the bucs should make the move. an upgrade is an upgrade, and i’m sure dotson has been watching every RT rep that has been played in his absence and won’t be illiterate as to what the guys to his left will be doing.
IF he looks more athletic and more dominant than cherilus in practice, he should get back the job he had for 3+ years prior to his 3 month injury
November 10th, 2015 at 10:59 am
also, cherilus is older in years and starts, so any argument about dotson being on the downside applies equally or moreso to cherilus
November 10th, 2015 at 11:18 am
@Pick6
I agree with you. I know the old saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” but if you can upgrade? WHY THE HELL NOT!?!?!
November 10th, 2015 at 11:57 am
I disagree, Dotson is the better player and your starter at RT in 2016, I’d rather him knock off the rust now against the Cowboys and hopefully Marpet is back soon and the right side of the line can start building some continuity for the future.
November 10th, 2015 at 12:42 pm
I wouldn’t mind giving cherilus a shot at guard if marpet cant play with Dotson playing rt…I wish pamphill would get more pt at lg instead of mankins…GO BUCS!!!
November 10th, 2015 at 4:05 pm
Both Dotson & Cherilus are under contract through 2016……Cherilus is making more money and there would be a huge cap hit if he is cut. I suspect both will remain and one will serve as backup.
I would only used Dotson this year if necessary. I suspect his contract will be negotiated in the off-season.
We have great depth on our Oline…..one area of concern going into the year is a strength.
Think of it…we have Dotson, Smith & Pamphile as backups!!!
November 10th, 2015 at 4:47 pm
“There’s no shame in being a backup.”
Our backup QB on this team, he sure gets lots of screen time right Joe? Trade him ASAP for what ever you can get. It’s almost shameful.
In my opinion anyway.
Dotson Is a great team player he should be allowed to work his way back to playing time on Sundays. Now we have both Pamphile and Dotson who can come in and play tackle eligible. Dotson has good hands.
Go Bucs!
November 10th, 2015 at 8:34 pm
Saying Dotson “may not even be an average player” makes one wonder what Dotson has done to someone personally to receive such a biased opinion? If you want to look just at pass protection or Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) statistics in what PFF tracks, they look at Sacks, QB hits and QB hurries. The tracking is not subjective. A QB either reacts, gets hit or gets sacked and all right tackles are scored the same way, by multiple people. In 2014, PFF’s highest-grading right tackle, Sebastian Vollmer, tied for third along with Demar Dotson in PBE. Dotson was ranked in the top 5 for PBE in 2013 as well. If Dotson is better than almost every other right tackle for the past two years running, with a non-subjective statistical tracking analyst, it is an insult to Demar and to Buccaneer fans that you would say he “may not even be an average player.”
November 10th, 2015 at 9:22 pm
No reason for him too play until needed , the line is doing okay without him . Why rush him back ? Specially after he said just last week he wasn’t as good as he wanted too be .
November 11th, 2015 at 1:51 am
lol he’s just not good in joes opinion, nothing at all to back up this claim.
Not at all what is widely thought.
ONLY reason he should not go back into the RT position right now is for the sake of continuity along the line.