About the whole thing that the Los Angeles Rams couldn’t afford to re-sign star guard Kevin Dotson ahead of NFL free agency?
We got some news for you. According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Dotson has indeed re-signed with Los Angeles. The numbers are staggering. The 27-year-old guard will bring in $48 million over the next three seasons for an average of $16 million per year. That makes Dotson, 27, the sixth highest-paid guard in the NFL on a per-year basis.
Dotson was acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2023 season. He proceeded to solidify the interior of Los Angeles’ makeshift offensive line, helping quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Kyren Williams excel big time.
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Impact Of Los Angeles Rams Re-Signing Kevin Dotson
It’s absolutely huge.
According to Pro Football Focus, Dotson boasted a pass-blocking efficiency grade of 97.3 last season. That was among the tops for interior linemen in the NFL. The interior of the Rams’ offensive line allowed only eight of the 30 sacks Stafford took a season ago. That’s darn good stuff.
What’s more impressive is the performance of Dotson and the Rams’ offensive line in blocking for Williams on the ground. He became the first player since 1937 to finish in the top-three of the NFL in rushing (1,144 yards) despite missing four or more games to injury.
Williams also ranked second behind Christian McCaffrey with 3.0 yards per rush before contact. That’s an obvious testament to what Kevin Dotson and the offensive line did on the ground.
We had projected that the low-end of Dotson’s average annual salary would be $14 million with a ceiling of $20 million. Getting him for $16 million seems to be a win-win for both the player and the team. Right now, Chris Lindstrom of the Atlanta Falcons tops the market with an AAV of $20.5 million.
The Rams had a projected $43.6 million to spend under the 2024 NFL salary cap before re-signing Dotson. The deal is likely back loaded with a cap hit of between $5 million and $6 million in 2024, giving GM Les Snead and Co. ample room to work with once NFL free agency opens next week.