Fourth-year guard Kevin Dotson probably got a little too much flak earlier this offseason for comments that he made following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ signing of Isaac Seumalo. Not one to beat around the bush, when asked what that signing meant for him, he acknowledged that teams pay players the way the Steelers paid Seumalo for the purpose of starting—in his spot.
For many fans, those words felt fatalistic, accepting the loss of his job without a fight. I see it more as a reflection of the basis reality of the circumstances at a time at which he had no power to address it—on the field.
Now that training camp is underway, Dotson is in his element and can respond with his play. “All I can do is my best and hope that good comes from it”, he told reporters yesterday on check-in day at Saint Vincent College as the Steelers get underway for their on-location camp, via the team’s YouTube channel.
A fourth-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette, Dotson had a promising rookie season in 2020 during four cameo starts at both right and left guard. He won the starting left guard job in 2021 but missed half the season due to a severe high ankle injury. While he retained his starting role last season, it was not to rave reviews.
Uncharacteristic relative to his earlier play, he had a high number of penalties, finishing the year with four false starts, four holding calls, and three flags for being an ineligible man down the field (an admittedly tricky and inconsistently enforced circumstance in today’s game). He also had one unnecessary roughness penalty while defending his quarterback, but he gets a pass for that.
Then again, he also missed a block on a play that led to said quarterback, Kenny Pickett, taking a hit that led to a concussion. Linemen, including himself, were also criticized early last season for not helping the quarterbacks up.
Dotson was the lone native interior line starter remaining, as the Steelers signed center Mason Cole and right guard James Daniels in free agency in 2022. It’s hard to envision a scenario in which he retains a starting job, and it probably won’t come at the expense of Seumalo, the projected left guard, who signed a three-year, $24 million deal.
The issue for Dotson is, if he’s not starting, his value is limited. He does not have a background of playing either center or tackle. He is also due to make over $2.7 million this year, so if he is to be a one-position backup, the Steelers may balk at that cost and either release him at the end of camp or try to trade him.
I personally am not in favor of such a move because I think he is valuable depth and perhaps the best guard on the roster who isn’t in the starting lineup—assuming that he won’t be (which is a safe assumption).
