High Praise
February 3rd, 2018
Better with age?
The folks who like to push the false narrative that the Bucs have a sieve for an offensive line won’t like this.
Seems the crowd over at Bleacher Report is continuing to pump out its top 1000 NFL players and recently published its top right tackles.
And Joe must admit this came as a bit of a surprise.
Seems Bleacher Report believes Bucs right tackle Demar Dotson is the No. 5 right tackle in the NFL. Doug Farrar offers his analysis.
Dotson has a lean frame, but he plays with a wide base, allowing him to show all the quickness and agility necessary for second-level blocking and tackle pulls while also dealing well with edge-rushers and peeling defenders back in the run game. Dotson gets frequent tight end help in Tampa Bay’s offensive concepts, but he doesn’t need it—when he latches onto a defender, he’s one of the more decisive blockers in the league.
The breakdown also claims Dotson, who started the first 11 games of the season, alllowed but 2.5 sacks through that span.
With Dotson, the Bucs have to tread lightly. He’s 32 and has missed 18 games through the past three seasons. Not a good combo.
February 3rd, 2018 at 12:10 am
At RT, you can accept that for the sake of managing the cash dedicated to your line.
February 3rd, 2018 at 1:14 am
Dot is very good … when healthy.
I’d like to see the Bucs spend a later round pick on a developmental RT like Desmond Harrison, as while he’s supposedly a head case, he’s also viewed as a guy with 1st round talent …
February 3rd, 2018 at 1:59 am
Dotson and marpet are good. D. Smith is serviceable. Pamphile is suspect. Sweezy sucks. Therefore your oline can use an upgrade if the opportunity presented itself. Singeling dotson out does not equate to a good oline. He11 joe, you put up an article that stated the bucs oline was average at 16. No, upgrades will not be a bad thing.
February 3rd, 2018 at 2:01 am
It’s possible Dotson could have a Donald Penn type career – he is pretty good when he plays, but he’s injured quite often and you wonder if he’s going to become more injury prone or just magically stay healthy, it’s a fair question. If the Bucs could get a dominate LT somewhere, they should move D Smith to RT – BUT if Dotson is healthy and will play, then moving Smith to G, along with Marpet – and then you get a good center… man, that’s a nasty good o-line all of a sudden.
Anywho it’s hard to bet on Dotson at this point – but he’s not going anywhere since he’s got 2 years left at less than $5m/season, which is a bargain if he plays.
February 3rd, 2018 at 2:48 am
Remember when Dotson was just a developmental practice squad guy?? What a very respectable career he’s turned out to have.
February 3rd, 2018 at 3:54 am
Webster’s analysis is spot on. We’ve spent Top-3-Round picks on a franchise QB, on 2 top WRs, on an excellent TE and on just 2 OLinemen. The rest … RBs & 3 OLinemen … we’ve just kinda cobbled together & made do with. Result: Bucs’ offense scored 307 points this past season when you take away the 28 points provided by the Bucs’ defense … a whopping average of 19.2 points/game. That MUST improve, and improve substantially if Bucs are to be anything but cellar-dwellers in the NFC South.
Ours is an average OLine (at best), but it has the potential to be much better. Donovan Smith & Ali Marpet are its’ future, and Demar Dotson is more than adequate for a couple more years (ya, IF he can stay healthy). Would prefer to sign top-notch LG & Center in free agency (and move Marpet back to RG), but drafting a LG in the Top-3 Rounds and using Hawley or Evan Smith at Center would be fall-back ‘upgrades’ for 2018 IMO.
February 3rd, 2018 at 4:33 am
Of course he is improving!
He didn’t play football in college!
I love Demar Dotson. He has been a very cheap and reliable RT for years!
I hope is injury was not severe.
@joe- Does he need surgery? Injury update please?
February 3rd, 2018 at 4:35 am
And I almost forgot-
Why arent we passon to Demar in the redzone???
He is a 6-8 basketball player!
Toss it up and let the big man come down with the rebound!
And can we please use more QB sneaks!!
Even with J-Fro, we didn’t use the QB sneak in 4th and 1 situations!!
February 3rd, 2018 at 4:37 am
*passing
February 3rd, 2018 at 7:53 am
Dotson is a stud RT and should retire a Buccaneer. He’s a true underdog story and I’m glad he’s on our team
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:15 am
Dot was our most consistent OLine player in 2017 until he got hurt.
Bad Guard play a good part of the year (along with a few terrible whiffs by D.Smith) was our biggest problem up front in 2017. Pamphile was not very good (bad look in a contract year) and Sweezy was just bad. Evan Smith being our most consistent Guard tells you what you need to know about that position.
We need upgrades at Guard if Marpet is to remain at Center. Evan Smith should be re-signed but all that does is maintain the needed depth.
If Chubb is off the board and Nelson is available at #7 – the generational Guard prospect SHOULD be our pick in the 1st round unless a trade down option presents itself.
Quinton Nelson (along with a good RB) would go a LONG ways towards fixing what is wrong with our offense.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:29 am
I’m not shocked about this even tho we’ve seen articles here suggesting he might be on “thin ice”. Most places, other than here, he seems to be regarded as one of the better line players. To be honest, if this article is written using this ranking as evidence of how good the Bucs line in total is, we should look at how the other players rank relatively.
Donovan Smith 25th vs left tackles
Pamphile 74th, Evan Smith 45th vs right Guards
JR Sweezy 31st vs left guards
and whatever we do we must keep labelling his play at center a failed experiment every time we can Ali Marpet 10th vs centres.
I’ve seen it floated multiple times that Dot should be our left tackle. Watching the offensive line play and not realizing the Guard positions were deficient is really impossible to ignore. Also ignoring that the only Guard under contract is Sweezy and Marpet (if we move Hawley back to Center). As much as the fans, myself included, like Hawley. He is exactly where he needs to be as a reserve. His body couldn’t withstand a full season in 2016. In 2018, we shouldn’t expect an improvement.
The Bucs must acquire at least one guard this offseason and retain Sweezy. It is popular to say get rid of Sweezy, but then they must acquire two interior players, minimum before the draft.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:37 am
Pick.. not disagreeing regarding Sweezy with you. I was surprised he was ranked as highly as he was. Watching film, there was just bad guard play no matter who the center was. Marpet was asked to cover for so much, as a first year center. Would have loved to watch him develop as a center next to Mankins.
Just reporting the full scope regarding the article Joe cited. Minimally, one of the three, Sweezy, Smith or Pamphile must be retained. I could make an argument for and against everyone of them.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:53 am
tnew, FWIW, retain Evan Smith (decent flexibility). Re-sign Pamphile, but only as a backup & only IF the price is right (decent flexibility). Bye bye Sweezy.
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:40 am
You people are delusional and have short memories just 2 seasons ago dotson was horrible and a walking drive killing penalty machine. At best dotson is nothing more than a average rt. He is far from great and rarely is good. Rt needs an upgrade to a full time player not a part time average feerl good story.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:37 am
tmax right on the bucs are a 6-10 team with 6-10 players
February 3rd, 2018 at 12:39 pm
If Nelson is there at #7 (& not Chubb or Barkley)…It’s a no-brainer.
If Not…I’d hope the FO seriously considers trying to move down & get more picks, instead of reaching for a position of need. (Not Sold on UTSA DE Davenport at all!)
Personally..If Nelson is the pick @ #7…I’d really like to see Marpet slide back to G as well (where his quickness is best utilized) and a guy like NDSU C Austin Kuhnert drafted. He has small school steal written all over him…Has played in an pro-style offensive system for his entire college career, making all the checks/line adjustments…& has the all on-field/off-field make-up of a potential long-term NFL starter.
February 3rd, 2018 at 1:47 pm
Nelson and Marpet could both become All-Pros.
I know we need 4 DE’s.
But you cant pass up on the opportunity to put Nelson on the interior with Marpet (at center or guard).
Protecting Jameis should still be priority 1.
February 3rd, 2018 at 2:25 pm
Damar Dotson was not on the field for a lot of games, so it does not make a difference. When I am watching games, the defenders are in Jameis’ face before he can complete his drop backs which forces him to evade defender before he can make his reads. Nevertheless, Jameis makes play after play to give the Bucs a chance to win. This is a reality that does not make the offensive line good. If Jameis gave up on plays like Alex Smith and Matthew Bradford, the opposing offenses would beat the Bucs by 50. Your boy Koetter sucks worse than Lovie. Lovie did not have the same level of talent.
February 3rd, 2018 at 7:06 pm
When analyst said Donovan Smith was the worst starting tackle in the league last year joe says “these analysit dont know real football!” but when they say Demar Dotson is good joes says “Look the Oline is great, the analyst say so” smh smh. Anything to fit joes narative that RB and skill positions are more important than line play. SO sad… Im in school all day studying medicine all day and i can see how line play is more important than RB but they study football all day and still dont get it.
Yea dotson is good but one Online men doesnt make a line. Just like one Dline man (G. Mccoy) doesnt make a Dline great.
Sheesh!
February 3rd, 2018 at 7:55 pm
tmaxcon Says – “Just 2 seasons ago Dotson was horrible and a walking drive killing penalty machine. At best Dotson is nothing more than a average rt. He is far from great and rarely is good”.
Well tmax, looks to me like there are now two websites that have ranked Demar Dotson in the top 5 for RT and top 7 for all tackles, last year. Bleacher Report believes Bucs right tackle Demar Dotson is the No. 5 right tackle in the NFL and so does Pro Football Focus. Last year the Bucs OL ranked 19th in sacks (40) and Dotson only gave up 2.5 of those sacks (as Joe stated) and actually put together his best season to date as a pro. Dotson surrendered just 14 total pressures across those 11 games he played in. He was the highest-graded pass blocking right tackle in the league. Between weeks three and seven, no tackle in the NFL has given up fewer pressures in pass protection, and on the season he’s PFF’s top pass blocking tackle in the entire league (AGAIN “best pass blocking tackle (right and left) in the NFL”). Far from average. In 2016 (2 years ago), the OL tied for 16th in the NFL with 35 sacks allowed. Most of the problems in pass protection were on the left side of the line. Left tackle Donovan Smith surrendered 57 quarterback pressures and left guard Kevin Pamphile surrendered 32. In 2016 (2 years ago), Demar Dotson recorded a pass-blocking grade of 86.4 last season, the highest mark for a right tackle per PFF. Far from average. Last year Dotson was considered the 5th best right tackle per Bleacher Report and ranked 7th overall for all tackles and ranked 1st for pass blocking tackle by PFF. In 2016 (2 years ago), Dotson again was ranked 1st for right tackle by PFF. Dotson “is a walking drive killing penalty machine”. Granted Dotson gave up 11 penalties in 2016 but improved in 2017 by only giving up 5 penalties. In 2017, Dotson was far from a “a walking drive killing penalty machine”. Dotson is better than average, he is the best pass blocking tackle in the NFL, two years running
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:16 pm
Good stats Godzilla………..And for anybody needing the eyeball test just go look at the difference in pass pro when Dot went down and Benechot was playing. It stood out like a sore thumb.
Further evidence look at this the difference in 2016 when Dot went out and Cherilous went in.
We do have a hole at RT but it ain’t Dotson. It’s the depth behind him. Maybe Benechot developers further but we need another tackle to compete for that role. It’s been a hole that’s been exposed for two seasons. If Dirk don’t know how to fix it he deserves to have it exposed again and for it to cost him his job.