The Los Angeles Rams announced that they have acquired offensive lineman Kevin Dotson from the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are sending out a 2024 fourth-round draft pick and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick but getting back a 2024 fifth-round draft pick and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.
The move helps solidify the Rams up front going into the regular season, which is much-needed after that group struggled mightily last season.
Dotson was originally a fourth-round pick of the Steelers in 2020 out of Louisiana at Lafayette and he has started 30 of his 39 games with the team, including all 17 last season.
The 26-year-old is coming off his best season in which he received the 17-highest blocking grade at 77.6 and fourth-fewest pressures allowed at 16 according to Pro Football Focus.
With the start of the season just around the corner, it remains to be seen if Dotson will come in and start right away although the right guard spot would make some sense. Alaric Jackson won the starting left tackle job in training camp and rookie Steve Avila will be right next to him at left guard with veterans Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein at center and right tackle, respectively.
That leaves the right guard spot up in the air as Joseph Noteboom and Tremayne Anchrum battling for it in camp. Noteboom hasn’t been on the practice field for the last week due to an undisclosed injury though, so Anchrum was viewed as the perceived starter going into Week 1.
With Noteboom having a large contract, it’s possible that the Rams are attempting to trade him before the season and that is why he has been absent at camp. The addition of Dotson will only add to that speculation, especially since Noteboom was recently moved to guard which is the same position the new addition from Pittsburgh plays.
This is only the first of a bunch of moves the Rams will surely be making in the coming days as they get their roster down to 53 players ahead of Week 1.
This was second Rams/Steelers trade this offseason
The Rams and Steelers seem to have a good working relationship as this is the second trade they’ve made this offseason with the first sending wide receiver Allen Robinson to Pittsburgh for a late-round pick.
Robinson didn’t pan out after signing with the Rams as a free agent in 2022 and now will get a fresh start with the Steelers, similar as Dotson will in L.A.
