After free agent acquisition Anthony Collins flopped last season, the Buccaneers moved Demar Dotson from right tackle to left tackle for the final weeks of the season.
Dotson spent the offseason preparing to play left tackle again in 2015, but that work may have been made moot in the second round of the draft last Friday. The Bucs added Penn State product Donovan Smith with the 34th pick in the draft and Dotson said that the team let him know that Smith’s arrival meant he’ll be moving back to his old spot on the line.
Right tackle isn’t quite as high profile an assignment, but Dotson said he’s comfortable at the position and comfortable with moves that make the line a better unit than the Bucs had in 2014.
“When I left, there were indications that I was going to come back and start off on the left, so I did train myself, prepare myself to come back and play left,” Dotson said, via the Tampa Bay Times. “Shortly after we got back, they said it depends on who we draft. Then after we drafted the kid from, I’m not sure where he’s from, but the kid, Donovan kid, they said they were going to put me back to right and perhaps put that kid on the left. … I was told that’s going to be a big thing to build through the draft, to get some young guys in there that can come in and compete and make this offensive line better. We struggled in so many ways last year. It’s going to be good competition, with guys coming back that are hungry and young guys coming in that I hope are hungry.”
Smith started 31 games at left tackle while in Happy Valley, so it’s not much of a surprise that the Bucs would see if he can handle the spot before turning back to Dotson.
Smith was joined by guard Ali Marpet later in the second round and both could be starters up front when the Bucs kick off the season in September. With Jameis Winston also a good bet to be with the first team, it’s clear that building through the draft is the offensive plan across the board this season.
