Former Pittsburgh Steelers guard Kevin Dotson is in line for a big payday during 2024 NFL free-agency
It's very rare in the NFL that you see a player leave the team that drafted them and perform better with a new team. You see, the best free agents seldom reach the market, as teams want to hold on to homegrown talent as long as they can. But for the Pittsburgh Steelers and former […]
It's very rare in the NFL that you see a player leave the team that drafted them and perform better with a new team.
You see, the best free agents seldom reach the market, as teams want to hold on to homegrown talent as long as they can.
But for the Pittsburgh Steelers and former draft pick Kevin Dotson, things didn't go great together, as evidenced by his trading to the Rams last offseason.
But a change of scenery or even better usage has Dotson ready to cash in:
Dotson To The Moon
After the Rams played their final preseason game against the Broncos, they agreed to two Day 3 pick swaps with the Steelers in exchange for Dotson, giving the Steelers their 2024 4th for the Steelers’ 5th, and their 2025 5th for the Steelers’ 6th. They played Dotson on his natural side, right guard, and Dotson dominated as a run blocker and continued showcasing strong pass blocking prowess. Considering how late he joined his new teammates, it’s remarkable how well he performed.
Although his 2023 pass blocking efficiency grade was the lowest of his career, the 97.4% figure is more than serviceable for a player that shined in the run game, and is backed by three seasons (though only one as a starter) of PBE’s above 98%. –A to Z Sports Free Agency
Coming off the best season of his career, A to Z Sports ranks Dotson as the 16th best player in free agency, with a contract projected at: 4 yrs, $72M, $18M APY, 36M GTD, a hefty number for a player that was traded for a late day three pick just months ago.
So we'll probably never know why Dotson and Pittsburgh didn't work. Maybe it was because they played him out of his natural position, or maybe it was Matt Canada's offense.
Either way, if Pittsburgh knew he was capable of this level of play, he would have never been shipped out.
To see the top 105 NFL Free agents and their contract projections, click here.
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