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Demar Dotson

Demar Dotson Sprains MCL

August 16th, 2015 at 8:24pm CST by Rory Parks

8:24pm: Dotson’s MCL sprain will keep him out of action for roughly six weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

3:19pm: Head coach Lovie Smith says Dotson will be out “for a period of time,” tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, while Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reports (Twitter link) that the Bucs believe he will return at some point during the season.

8:44am: Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson suffered a sprained left MCL in last night’s preseason contest against the Vikings, according to Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Dotson will have an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury. Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports first tweeted that Dotson was believed to have sustained a sprained MCL.

Dotson has been a steady presence on the right side of Tampa Bay’s line, starting all but one of the team’s regular season games since 2012. Dotson has recorded a positive grade in each of the last three seasons according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and he ranked 28th out of 84 qualified tackles last year. He even held down the left tackle spot for three games in 2014.

Dotson is under club control through 2016, but he was understandably seeking a new contract this summer, as he has considerably outperformed his current deal that carries an average annual value of $1.5MM (he is set to earn $2.5MM this year). Although Dotson and the Bucs were reportedly close to agreement on a new contract, the fact that Dotson skipped voluntary workouts in an effort to rework his deal complicated the matter, as Tampa Bay’s team policy prohibits the negotiation of contracts with players who are absent from workouts, whether those workouts are voluntary or mandatory. Even though Dotson ultimately reported to mandatory minicamp and changed agents, it does not appear that the dialogue picked up much steam.

Needless to say, a season-ending injury would be a major blow for the Bucs, who are trying to give Jameis Winston as many chances to succeed as possible. Patrick Omameh is listed as the backup right tackle on the team’s depth chart. Notable free agents still available include players like Jake Long and Tyson Clabo. We will pass along updates on the severity of Dotson’s injury when they become available.

 

Sunday Roundup: Loadholdt, Dotson, Broncos

August 16th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

The Buccaneers and Vikings played each other on Saturday night, and both teams lost their starting right tackles. Minnesota’s Phil Loadholdt suffered a torn Achilles and is likely done for the season, while Tampa Bay’s Demar Dotson sprained his MCL and will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the sprain. Today’s Sunday Roundup begins with some fallout from those two injuries.

  • Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times notes that the Buccaneers could shift Kevin Pamphile from left tackle to right tackle to replace Dotson, or they could promote Patrick Omameh. However, if Dotson has anything worse than a sprained MCL, Auman expects Tampa Bay to look outside the organization to fill the void (Twitter links).
  • Former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets that the Vikings could be forced into a tough early decision on Loadholdt next season. As Corry notes, Loadholdt will be due a $500,000 bonus if he is on the roster on the third day of the league year (March 17, 2016), which may be too rich for a player who has suffered two major injuries in 10 months.
  • Mark Craig of The Star Tribune tweets that the Vikings are not panicking over Loadholdt’s injury or scrambling for outside help, as the team has confidence in its young tackles.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com breaks down Washington‘s potential options at tight end as it seeks to build depth behind Jordan Reed.
  • Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter) that the season-ending injury to Rams CB E.J. Gaines could open the door for someone like undrafted free agent Imoan Claiborne.
  • Broncos WR Bennie Fowler, whom Denver signed as an undrafted free agent last year, might be a long-shot to make the roster, but as Mike Klis of 9News.com writes, Fowler’s impressive showing in training camp and in the first preseason game is giving the Broncos’ brass a lot to think about.

Buccaneers’ Demar Dotson Changes Agents

July 16th, 2015 at 6:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers offensive tackle Demar Dotson has hired agent Joby Branion of Vanguard Sports to represent him, according to Rand Getlin of NFL Network (on Twitter). Dotson skipped voluntary workouts with the Bucs last month as he pushed the team for a new contract.

The Buccaneers entered contract talks with Dotson’s camp this summer, aiming to secure their longest-tenured player to an extension. However, Doston’s absence from OTAs threw a wrench into things. Reportedly, negotiations were nearly complete, but they stalled due to a team policy that prohibits the negotiation of contracts with players who are absent from workouts, whether those workouts are voluntary or mandatory. Dotson showed up for those mandatory workouts later on, so that he wouldn’t “lose any money.”

While the Buccaneers have struggled to find a reliable left tackle in recent years, they have received steady production on the right side from Dotson, who has started all but one game for the team since the start of the 2012 season. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Dotson has recorded a positive grade in each of the last three seasons, and ranked 28th out of 84 qualified tackles in 2014. He’s set to earn a base salary of just $2.5MM in 2015, which makes him just the 22nd-highest-paid right tackle in the NFL.

It’s possible that Dotson’s change in representation can breathe new life into talks between the two sides. At the same time, giving him a new deal could signal to other Bucs players that skipping workouts is an effective way to make noise and get a pay raise. The Bucs clearly don’t want to send that message and doing so would go against the spirit of their policy about negotiating with players who are absent from practices.

NFC South Notes: Colston, Dotson, Green

June 17th, 2015 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

While longtime Saints like Jimmy Graham, Ben Grubbs, Curtis Lofton, and Pierre Thomas were traded or released by New Orleans this offseason, wide receiver Marques Colston was able to work out an agreement to stay with the team on a reworked contract. As Colston tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, staying with the Saints was more important than trying to max out his value.

“At this point in my career, it’s not necessarily about maximizing every penny of every contract,” Colston said. “For me it came down to, ‘What’s my priority?’ I probably could have went somewhere else and maybe got a little bit more money. But the priority for me was to come back to an organization that I really enjoy playing for. I enjoy coming to work every day and being in this locker room.”

Colston, who added that he didn’t want to leave a “Hall of Fame quarterback” in Drew Brees, is on track to earn $3.8MM in 2015 than the $7MM he was originally set to make. Here’s more from around the NFC South, as we check in with all four teams:

  • “I didn’t want to lose any money,” Demar Dotson answered simply, when asked why he chose to end his holdout and attend the Buccaneers‘ minicamp this week (link via the Tampa Tribune). The veteran right tackle had been seeking a new contract, but staying away from team activities didn’t appear to improve his leverage, since the Bucs broke off negotiations while he was absent.
  • Reserve offensive lineman Tyronne Green tore his Achilles tendon during a practice and will undergo surgery, sidelining him for the 2015 season, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told the media today (Twitter link). Green wasn’t necessarily guaranteed a regular season roster spot, but his injury should open the door for another lineman to earn a place among Carolina’s final 53.
  • Wide receiver Carlton Mitchell, who played his college ball at South Carolina and spent time with the Browns after being selected in the sixth round of the 2010 draft, has a tryout today with the Falcons, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

NFC Notes: AP, Bridgewater, Dotson, Cowboys

June 13th, 2015 at 5:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a solid rookie year despite being without the services of six-time Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson, who missed all but one game in 2014 because of domestic-violence issues. The newly reinstated Peterson is hoping his return will help Bridgewater’s game reach new heights this season.

“Hopefully my presence will be able to lose a guy or two by bringing guys in that focus on stopping the run,” Peterson said, per ESPN’s Tania Ganguli.

Peterson won’t just aid Bridgewater as a runner, but he’s expecting to be a useful option in the passing game.

“With coach [Norv] Turner’s offense, there’s so much that he throws out there, so I’ll be more involved in the pass game, being out wide, presenting myself for Teddy to check down,” said the 30-year-old.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson is optimistic that ending his brief holdout and reporting to minicamp next week will help him get the new contract he’s seeking. “I think we can get a deal done pretty quickly,” Dotson said, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. “We were pretty close before. I’m hoping if I show up we can get it done. I really don’t want to miss any workouts or training camp.” Dotson, 29, has two years remaining on his contract, but he’s just the 22nd-highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. That doesn’t jibe with his on-field performance, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the six-year veteran an impressive 28th among 84 qualifying offensive tackles last season.
  • Thanks to DeMarco Murray‘s departure in free agency, the Cowboys don’t have a clear No. 1 running back as the summer nears, but offensive coordinator Scott Linehan believes someone – be it Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle or Ryan Williams – will separate himself from the pack and earn the job as the team’s go-to ball carrier. “I think before it’s all said and done, that person will rise to the top. What’s interesting and exciting is that we’re going to find out,” said Linehan, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News.
  • When asked if the Lions’ addition of Garrett Gilbert meant that backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky could be on the way out, Dave Birkett of MLive.com responded that the chances of that happening are slim (via Twitter).

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

NFC Mailbags: David, Buccaneers, Stewart, Lions

June 13th, 2015 at 11:19am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let take a look at some interesting notes out of the NFC…

  • There is an “open dialogue” between the Buccaneers and linebacker Lavonte David‘s camp regarding a contract extension, reports Pat Yasinskas. The writer notes that both sides would like to get a deal done quickly.
  • Looking at the Buccaneers offensive line, Yasinskas believes the team doesn’t have much of a need for recently-released Evan Mathis. The team would rather have their young players, including Ali Marpet and Kadeem Edwards, compile snaps. Meanwhile, Yasinskas says lineman Demar Dotson still wants a new contract, and the writer believes showing up for minicamp could improve the player’s chances.
  • Jonathan Stewart‘s deal runs through 2017, and David Newton could envision the Panthers getting out of that contract early. Considering general manager Dave Gettleman‘s willingness to part ways with veterans like DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith, there’s no guarantee that Stewart sticks around.
  • If Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin can put together a top-five defense without Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, Michael Rothstein says the 50-year-old will likely have his pick of heading coaching gigs next offseason.
  • Rothstein believes it could be a “tough road” for Mohammed Seisay to make the Lions 53-man roster. If the cornerback were to stick around, it’d have to be because of the 25-year-old’s contributions on special teams. The writer notes that the team has four “likely locks” to make the roster at cornerback: Rashean Mathis, Darius Slay, Alex Carter and Quandre Diggs.

Negotiations Stalled Between Dotson, Bucs

June 12th, 2015 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

9:18am: Dotson will end his holdout and report to the Bucs’ mandatory minicamp next week, according to Mark Cook of PewterReport.com. As I noted below, that should help restart contract talks between the two sides, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if a deal was agreed upon before training camp.

8:46am: A week ago, we learned that Buccaneers tackle Demar Dotson was seeking a new contract, and wasn’t in attendance at the team’s OTAs as he angled for that new deal. According to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, Dotson’s absence from the Bucs’ voluntary program has created an impasse in negotiations.

Sources tell Cummings that the Buccaneers previously entered contract talks with Dotson’s camp, aiming to secure their longest-tenured player to an extension. Per Cummings’ sources, negotiations were nearly complete, but they stalled due to a team policy that prohibits the negotiation of contracts with players who are absent from workouts, whether those workouts are voluntary or mandatory.

Based on Cummings’ report, it sounds like the impasse between Dotson and the Bucs may be temporary. The club is holding its mandatory minicamp next week, and if the veteran right tackle reports at that time, it sounds like talks could resume, and an agreement could potentially come together quickly. For now though, as long as Dotson is away from the team, those discussions are at a standstill.

While the Buccaneers have struggled to find a reliable left tackle in recent years, they have received steady production on the right side from Dotson, who has started all but one game for the team since the start of the 2012 season. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Dotson has recorded a positive grade in each of the last three seasons, and ranked 28th out of 84 qualified tackles in 2014. He’s set to earn a base salary of just $2.5MM in 2015.

Bucs’ Demar Dotson Seeking New Contract

June 5th, 2015 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson has not been in attendance at the team’s OTAs this week, and according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, Dotson’s absence is contract-related. The veteran offensive lineman is seeking a new contract, and the two sides are engaged in contract negotiations, per Auman.

While the Buccaneers have struggled to find a reliable left tackle in recent years, they have received steady production on the right side from Dotson, who has started all but one game for the team since the start of the 2012 season. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Dotson has recorded a positive grade in each of the last three seasons, and ranked 28th out of 84 qualified tackles in 2014.

Dotson’s solid play has come at a discount for the Buccaneers, who have paid the 29-year-old only $5MM over his last three seasons. Dotson is set to get a pay bump to $2.5MM in 2015, but that’s still well below what other reliable starting right tackles are earning.

Dotson may be deserving of a raise, but as Auman observes, the Bucs may also be reluctant to give too much ground. After all, the Southern Mississippi product still has two seasons left on his contract, and giving him a significant raise would send a message to the rest of the team that holding out from voluntary workouts is an effective negotiating tactic. Still, it sounds like GM Jason Licht and the front office have been in touch with Dotson’s agent, so perhaps a compromise can be reached before the tackle’s holdout stretches into the summer.

Buccaneers Notes: McCown, Dotson, Bowers

August 9th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Buccaneers’ offense was dreadful in their first preseason game on Friday, particularly Josh McCown and the offensive line, writes Gary Shelton of the Tampa Bay Times. Although McCown has already been named the starter, he gave no reassurances that he could handle the job. The offensive line was just as disappointing, and has fans and pundits in the Tampa area worried about the unit this season.

Here are some other notes from the team’s first week of the preseason:

  • Right tackle Demar Dotson acknowledged the offensive line’s struggles on Friday, according to Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Bay Tribune (via Twitter). “In the first preseason game, you expect some mistakes,” said Dotson. “You can’t look at it & panic.”
  • Head coach Lovie Smith responded to the poor play of his offensive line by saying that he is always looking for outside help if it improves the team, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The team was rumored to be interested in 49ers’ guard Alex Boone, should he become available. However, Smith did say he thought they had the offensive line in place that could do the job this season.
  • On a positive note, star defensive tackle Gerald McCoy spoke about the versatility of Da’Quan Bowers, according to Kaufman (via Twitter). “He’s playing inside, he’s playing outside,” said McCoy. “And he’s making plays at both positions.”

NFC Notes: Cousins, Robinson, Davis, Brown, Dotson, Maxwell, Washington

May 30th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins was regarded as a prospect with starter-caliber potential coming out of Michigan State in 2012, and despite posting lackluster numbers in eight career games (four starts), his name surfaced in trade rumors earlier in the offseason. In an article by Mark Maske in the Washington Post, Cousins acknowledges he was aware of the speculation, but “never really got a whole lot of information.” Said Cousins: “I didn’t know what was truth and what was rumors, what was speculation. So it was hard for me to really read into anything because you didn’t know how true it was. So I think for the most part it was smart for me just to stay out of it.”

In other NFC notes. . .

  • ESPN’s Redskins reporter John Keim did an interview on 890 AM in which he said receiver Leonard Hankerson, who is recovering from a torn ACL/LCL injury, is questionable for the start of training camp. After witnessing Hankerson barely going half-speed in minicamp, Keim said he wouldn’t be surprised if Hankerson begins the season on the PUP list.
  • Keim also singled out third-year linebacker Keenan Robinson, whose speed and range were on display during minicamp. According to Keim, the team has been high on Robinson for two years, envisioning him as London Fletcher‘s replacement at middle linebacker. However, torn pectoral muscles landed Robinson on IR 11 games into his 2012 rookie season and sidelined him for all of 2013. Robinson’s time might be now, adds the Washington Post’s Mike Jones, who says Robinson “has done well in classroom sessions and on-field workouts this offseason” and “appeared at ease on Thursday as he made the defensive calls, and matched the tempo of the returning starters…”
  • Vernon Davis, who is seeking a new contract, was coy when asked if he’ll be at the 49ers’ involuntary minicamp, according to Eric Branch at sfgate.com: “I might be there,” [Davis] said, smiling. “I might not. It’s mandatory. I probably should be there. We’ll see.”
  • Through a series of unforeseen events, Stevie Brown is once again working as one of the Giants’ first-team safeties alongside Antrel Rolle, writes ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Brown, who missed last season because of a torn ACL, is on a one-year, $2.75MM deal.
  • The Buccaneers’ offensive line struggled last season, but college basketball player-turned-defensive lineman-turned-practice squad flier-turned-offensive tackle starter Demar Dotson could be developing into a star, according to Michael Renner at Pro Football Focus. Dotson, playing on a three-year, $4.5MM deal that runs out after 2016, “is far and away one of the best values at his position,” believes Renner.
  • Despite losing Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond in free agency, the Seahawks vaunted secondary “shouldn’t skip a beat” in the estimation of Pro Football Focus’ Pete Damilatis, who believes third-year cornerback Byron Maxwell is the team’s “Secret Superstar.”
  • In the wake of Cardinals star linebacker Daryl Washington‘s one-year suspension, Darren Urban of azcardinals.com explains why it doesn’t make sense to cut Washington.