ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — John Elway has always been able to audible with the best of them.
Less than a week after Broncos right tackle Ja’Wuan James opted out for the 2020 season because of coronavirus concerns, Elway, the former quarterback who is now the team's general manager, is bringing in longtime former Tampa Bay Buccaneer right tackle Demar Dotson for a visit, sources tell 9NEWS.
Parameters of a contract agreement are in place, although a deal is not done. Dotson, 34, must first go through the pre-entry COVID-19 testing procedures and then pass a physical exam. If all goes well, he would bring much-needed offensive tackle depth to the Broncos by early in the week.
A free agent despite starting 15 games each of the past two seasons with the Bucs, Dotson is expected to push right tackle Elijah Wilkinson, who in turn could push left tackle Garett Bolles.
Wilkinson started 12 games for the Broncos at right tackle last season in place of the injured James. Wilkinson, 25, underwent off-season ankle surgery but was cleared to practice earlier this week.
Raised in Alexandria, La., Dotson played basketball at Southern Mississippi. Used mostly as a backup center, he averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds a game in two combined seasons for Larry Eustachy before deciding to try football in the fall of 2008. Dotson showed enough raw ability to become an undrafted college free agent for the Bucs in 2009, when he played in 9 games as a rookie.
Dotson went on to become one of the NFL’s most pleasant surprise stories. He spent 11 years with Tampa Bay, the past eight as a starting right tackle.
The 6-foot-9, 315 pound Dotson – he was listed at 260 pounds during his college basketball days -- has started 104 games the previous eight seasons with Tampa, an average of 13 per season.
After his rookie deal, Dotson received two contract extensions from Tampa Bay but was allowed to hit free agency this offseason. He has blocked for the quarterback likes of Josh Freeman, Mike Glennon, Josh McCown, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay but after 11 seasons, Dotson is still looking to participate in his first playoff game.
The Broncos also have journeyman Jake Rodgers and second-year player Quinn Bailey as backup offensive tackles.
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