The Los Angeles Rams have a star-studded list of players on the roster who are entering a contract year, but the one who should take first priority is probably not the first name that comes to mind among those extension candidates. What Kevin Dotson represents, which is stability and importance on the offensive line, should make him the first player in that unit to be extended.
And it’s Dotson’s strength of consistent value and reliability that makes him an easier player contract to get finalized
than teammate Puka Nacua.
When Les Snead signs the next contract extension for a Rams player, Kevin Dotson makes more sense than anybody else to be the name at the top of the deal.
What will Kevin Dotson cost?
Dotson could set a new benchmark for right guard contracts, potentially asking for a raise that will be roughly 50-percent higher than the deal he signed with L.A. in 2024.
Dotson’s current deal pays him $16 million per year (he signed a 3-year, $48 million deal), and that expires after 2026. He will have a cap hit of $17.4 million in 2026, the sixth-highest for any right guard.
However, since then, Trey Smith signed a contract that pays him $23.5 million per season with the Kansas City Chiefs, the benchmark for right guards.
Two other right guards, Chris Lindstrom and Robert Hunt, have also gone over $20 million per season.
At 29 (turns 30 in September), Dotson is not a spring chicken. This could work against him in negotiations.
But what he does have on his side is the fear of the unknown, as well as the leverage to claim that another team would be happy to take him off of L.A.’s hands for over $20 million per season.
If the Rams allow Dotson to become a free agent in 2027, he will certainly have a market that gets him over the $20 million mark. For guards, 30 is not the death sentence that it appears to be with running backs and receivers.
In fact, the best could lay ahead with Dotson.
No Franchise Tag
The tag almost certainly won’t be an option for Snead.
Because Dotson is a guard–and all OL gets lumped together under the tag–the Rams would have to pay him as if he’s a franchise left tackle. They aren’t going to do that, plus they have a laundry list of priorities that would make the tag on Dotson impossible.
These players are in a contract year right now:
- Puka
- Dotson
- Davante Adams
- Coleman Shelton
- Warren McClendon
- Steve Avila
- Byron Young
- Kobie Turner
- Colby Parkinson
- Davis Allen
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Omar Speights
- Ethan Evans
- Desjuan Johnson
The Rams are projected to have $80 million in cap space. That’s a number that will dwindle very fast with this many names up for renewal.
Even so, Dotson is the one who makes the most sense as a priority.
He represents the OL
In TST’s tournament of the most important players on the Rams, Kevin Dotson came in fifth place. He ranked higher than everybody other than Matthew Stafford, Puka, Myles Garrett, and Trent McDuffie.
Because Avila is also a free agent, it just makes sense to pick a couple of offensive linemen and get their deals done sooner than later. Because Dotson has actually proven to be elite at times, and Avila hasn’t yet, at least get the veteran done first. Then everything else will fall into place around him and his contract numbers.
Unless the Rams don’t think any guard is worth $20 million per season, in which case, their plans are much different than we might imagine.
