The 2022 NFL season was a disaster for the Los Angeles Rams for multiple reasons, most notable the injuries to key players like Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald.
However, the offensive line woes were also brutal as the Rams lost several starting linemen over the course of the regular season which forced Sean McVay to start a new group almost every week. The lack of continuity along the o-line made it difficult for the offense to find any sort of rhythm or consistency and as a result Los Angeles had the worst offensive season under McVay since he took over.
Going into 2023, general manager Les Snead knew he needed to add depth to the offensive line room and he did just that by adding Steve Avila through the draft and trading for Kevin Dotson from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both players wound up as the starting guards for Los Angeles and they helped turn the offense into a gap-scheme run team.
Dotson is set to hit free agency and Snead acknowledged that the Rams will do their best to re-sign him. “He’ll definitely have a marketplace, for sure,” Snead said. “People are going to want him to come play football for them. We’re one of those teams.”
Dotson didn’t have much of a place in Pittsburgh after the team added offensive linemen in the draft and free agency, making him a solid add for Los Angeles. However, he wound up playing his way into a starting spot and never relinquished it after he showed what he could do in the interior.
Listed at 6’4” and 322 pounds, Dotson’s got great size for a guard and does his best work paving the way for running backs up field. Kyren Williams was one of the league’s leading rushers and Dotson played a major part in helping him achieve his first 1,000-yard rushing season.
Snead and the front office typically allow veteran players to walk in free agency so they can earn compensatory picks, but Dotson would be worth keeping to allow the offensive line to continue building together. Dotson should have plenty of suitors, but hopefully he winds up back with the Rams.
Les Snead endorses Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for head coaching jobs
On the other hand, Los Angeles could be in search for a new defensive coordinator as Raheem Morris is interviewing with several teams for their head coaching vacancies. Snead was highly complimentary of Morris and endorsed him as an excellent head coaching candidate.
