Demar Dotson emerged last year as the Buccaneers’ starting right tackle, and now the Bucs have shown that they believe he’s going to be a starter for years to come.
Dotson has signed a new four-year contract with the Bucs, the team announced today.
After starting 15 games last season, Dotson triggered an escalator in his contract that raised his 2013 base salary from $1.5 million to $2 million. This new contract means that instead of the 27-year-old Dotson hitting free agency a year from now, he’ll be in Tampa through the 2016 season.
The 6-foot-9, 315-pound Dotson entered the NFL as a raw undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi, having played just one year of college football (on the defensive line) following two years on the basketball team at Southern Miss. But the Bucs liked his potential and were patient in his development, and last season he was a pleasant surprise as a starter. Now the Bucs believe they’ve got their starting right tackle under contract for the next four years.