Steelers 2-a-days: Kevin Dotson no longer a starting guard; William Dunkle a possible backup

Editor’s note: From the end of minicamp through the day the team reports to training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2023 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, between June 16 and July 26. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

G KEVIN DOTSON

Experience: 4^th season

Contract status: $2.9 million cap hit in 2023, set to be unrestricted free agent after the season

2023 outlook: Dotson has had a curious Steelers career. A mere fourth-round pick from a “mid-major” Sun Belt program (Louisiana), he was a starter for Week 2 of his rookie season and started the final two games of his rookie season, too. Then, he started every game he played during Year 2 — but was forced to compete to keep his gig at this point last year.

After holding off Kendrick Green, Dotson played every Steelers offensive snap last season. This time, though, Dotson wasn’t even given the opportunity to fight to keep his job. The Steelers handed it to veteran Isaac Seumalo.

There’s no shame in that, per se, because Seumalo was a coveted free agent who’d just been part of an NFC championship-winning offensive line in Philadelphia. But after the hot start to his career and quick ascension, Dotson has been seemingly in the crosshairs of a management group intent on replacing him and/or not overly satisfied with his play.

Only two players in the entire league (regardless of position) were flagged more often in 2022 than Dotson (11, with 10 accepted). But overall, available metrics didn’t rate Dotson all that poorly in 2022.

Regardless, barring injury, he won’t be a starter in 2023. And with a cap hit that big, there has to be some question as to whether he will be on the team at all — particularly as the turnover on the Steelers offensive line continues since the new management regime has taken over.

"Once you pay somebody, it's almost set in stone regardless (of what happens)." -- Kevin Dotsonhttps://t.co/60sFeIEwr7

— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) May 23, 2023

OL WILLIAM DUNKLE

Experience: Spent last season on Steelers practice squad

Contract status: $750,000 cap hit if he makes the team in 2023

2023 outlook: Before Seumalo, before Nate Herbig and before Le’Raven Clark, the famed run of offensive linemen formerly of the Eagles to join the Steelers began rather modestly with Dunkle signing two days following his release by Philadelphia late in training camp.

Dunkle was signed as an undrafted free agent while Andy Weidl still worked for the Eagles; he now serves as Steelers assistant general manager. Dunkle was projected as a fifth-round pick last year by the NFL’s official website after he’d been a second-team AP All American and first-team all-Mountain West Conference in 2021. At 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Dunkle has NFL size and he seems to fit the profile of what the Steelers have been looking for in their offensive linemen — aggressive and “nasty” on the field, cerebral and calculated off of it. Bet on Dunkle to make the practice squad again this year.

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