Broncos making move to protect Drew Lock after losing Ja’Wuan James

Demar Dotson is headed to the Denver Broncos.

The Denver Broncos already neglected the offensive tackle position in their comprehensive offensive rebuild conducted over the 2020 offseason, and that lack of depth came back to bite them after right tackle Ja’Wuan James decided to opt out of the season due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

Rather than roll the dice on a young player, Vic Fangio decided to add a battle-scarred veteran, signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson.

The Denver Broncos are taking a bit of a risk with Dotson.

A former undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss who spent the last 10 seasons with Tampa Bay, Dotson was allowed to hit the open market after the Buccaneers honed in on a replacement in Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs during the 2020 NFL Draft.

While Dotson’s 71.0 PFF grade doesn’t look too bad, the fact that he committed 10 penalties and allowed five sacks shows that he regressed under Bruce Arians, as he allowed four sacks in the two prior seasons.

While Broncos fans sick of seeing Garrett Bolles at left tackle might not be enthused by the prospect of Dotson at right tackle, the fact that long-time offensive line coach and Hall of Famer Mike Munchak will be coaching Dotson could help him erase some of the bad habits he picked up last season. If he turns back the clock, the sky is the limit for quarterback Drew Lock and the Denver offense.

Dotson is a bit of a rehabilitation project, the Broncos know that Lock isn’t the most mobile quarterback, and keeping him upright is of paramount importance. If Dotson returns to the form he showed during his pre-Arians days in Tampa, Denver might’ve stolen a quality starting right tackle for pennies on the dollar.