Throughout the offseason, the Los Angeles Rams overhauled their roster top to bottom through head coach Sean McVay and GM Les Snead, adding a number of young pieces to an aging roster that was without draft picks and overall assets after going all in to win a Super Bowl two years ago.
That overhaul continued Monday when the Rams acquired veteran offensive guard Kevin Dotson from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a pick swap in 2024 and 2025.
The addition of Dotson gives the Rams an experienced interior offensive lineman, one with 39 career games and 30 career starts under his belt. While McVay and the Rams are excited to add the experienced guard to the roster, shoring up the offensive line even further in front of star quarterback Matthew Stafford, McVay found the addition to be a bit of a “fun evaluation” based on the things the Steelers asked Dotson to do.
Speaking with reporters for TheRams.com Tuesday following roster cutdowns, McVay gave his thoughts on Dotson.
“Yeah, I’ve always loved his game. I think his toughness, his ability to be productive in both phases, both the run and the pass, his size. Some of the ways that they played in Pittsburgh was something that made it a fun evaluation for us,” McVay said, according to video via TheRams.com. “He can play both the left and the right side. I thought he did a good job being able to play on the right side a little bit this preseason and he’s got a bunch of experience as you alluded to. And so, really, we haven’t had a chance to get on the grass with him. Tomorrow will represent that first opportunity, but certainly adds interior depth for us. I think with last year’s experiences that we went through, you can’t have enough depth at your offensive line and that’s where you see us carrying 10 guys on the initial roster.
“And I’m really looking forward to being able to have a better idea of, you know, what does he look like in person, how does he learn? What are the things that he does best? But there was a lot of fun tape to evaluate that we feel like he certainly comes in and gives us an opportunity to upgrade the totality of our roster, particularly on the interior parts of the line. And I’m looking forward to getting to know him.”
Throughout his time in Pittsburgh, Dotson was primarily a left guard, playing 1,887 snaps there over three seasons with the Steelers from 2020-22. In total, Dotson played 2,083 snaps with 190 at right guard. Over three seasons with the Steelers, Dotson graded out at marks of 66.2, 64.5 and 65.4 offensively from Pro Football Focus.
He was up and down overall and struggled with penalties in recent years, getting called for 19 penalties over three seasons. After a sparkling performance as a rookie in pass protection, Dotson fell off the last two seasons, allowing seven sacks and 26 total pressures.
The former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun gets a fresh start in Los Angeles and has his new head coach behind him from a talent standpoint while being excited to get to know him.
Chances are, Dotson will step into a key role for the Rams. Last season, the Rams rolled with David Edwards, Bobby Evans and Matt Skura at left guard with all three struggling overall. Edwards missed much of the season with an injury, while Skura and Evans were interchangeable at left guard.
After addressing the offensive line in the offseason, adding rookie Steve Avila to the mix at left guard, the Rams are in relatively good shape overall with the former TCU standout and Dotson ready to roll at the position.
We’ll see how it works out in Los Angeles with Dotson, who started strong in his Steelers tenure before fading. A chance to reset and land in a situation with the potential to start again has to be a big boost to Dotson’s overall confidence after being relegated to backup duties in Pittsburgh this offseason.
McVay seems excited to land a player of Dotson’s caliber, and the Steelers have to be thrilled with the compensation they received in the trade. Win-win for all parties involved.
