The LA Rams are no strangers to tweaking their roster. Even after the team seems to be 'set' for a new NFL season, it surprises nobody to find the team working to upgrade even the bottom rungs of the depth chart ever so slightly. It may not deliver immediate results. it has the collective effect of raising the tide of overall talent at the disposal of the coaching staff. That, in turn, elevates the chances of success throughout the season.
The best example of a late arrival to the roster is the 2023 NFL trade for Pittsburgh Steelers interior offensive lineman Kevin Dotson. In that exchange, the Rams sent a 2024 NFL Draft Round 4 pick and a 2025 NFL Draft Round 5 pick to the Steelers in turn for IOL Kevin Dotson, a 2024 NFL Draft Round 5 pick, and a 2025 NFL Draft Round 6 pick.
It was a curious move, one that seemed to be about offensive line depth that true roster need. But as we all know, whenever Rams GM Les Snead taps the trade machine with his wizard's staff, magic happens. And such was the case in this instance. The offensive line, assembled from existing parts, began to falter over the durability of some key contributors. And so, sooner rather than later, Kevin Dotson was elevated from backup to starter, and the rest is history.
Despite his projected backup status for the Steelers, Dotson was more than up to the challenge of starting for the Rams offensive line, and quickly became known on the team as one of the most proficient and dependable starters for the team. It was his physicality matched with left guard Steve Avila that began to open wide running lanes. And Dotson was superb at pass blocking for veteran QB Matthew Stafford.
It's unfair to set such lofty expectations for the two new players added to the Rams roster at or shortly after the the NFL deadline for roster cuts. Since many events were happening simultaneously, let's pivot back and revisit the two new players who you may want to learn more about.
