Elijah Dotson Makes the Initial 53 (Was Poll)

[Velo]

I think we keep 4 RBs. Ekeler, Kelley, Spiller, Dotson.

If Dotson continues to impress, they can't cut him and try to sneak him onto the PS. He'll end up on the Raiders or Broncos or Chiefs. He could be our Isaiah Pacheco.

[Boltjolt]

The reasons Hunt, Zeke, Cook etc have not been signed have more to do with money than anything else. Dotson is a rookie UDFA on a rookie UDFA salary. He is five years younger than those has veterans and has no NFL miles on his body. If Dotson continues to impress in the preseason and then he appears on the waiver wire during the cut downs, you don't think he will be claimed?

Right and when they can sign them to a non guaranteed 1 year deal for cheaper, they will et signed....IF they want to play for cheap. Just saying there are bonafide RBs still out there plus many others who will get cut after preseason.

We always seem to think our guys will get plucked and we always seem to think Denver and the Raiders are the ones to do it. If our staff was worried about it, they wouldnt cut them. Not to mention we can protect a handful of our PS players from being plucked.

How many NFL Players can be protected?

• Up to four players who have accrued no more than two NFL seasons. Up to six players with no limitations on experience. Four players can be protected each week, so they can’t be signed by another team off their practice squad. However, any unprotected player may be signed to a 53 man roster at any time.

NFL practice squad, explained: Rules, pay, roster limit, and more

www.sbnation.com/nfl/2022/8/30/23328790/nfl-practice-squad-rules-pay-roster-limit

[Boltjolt]

I'm not worried.
we're making room for Dotson
we're not exposinghim to waiver wire by not including him on the 53.
4 good backs in 2023.

He had a good night but its one game. Next week he may not do anything so consistancy is key. Ekeler was consistant when he was a rookie and made the team. I hope for the best for the guy and that he makes it tough for the staff to choose.

[Heatmiser]

We are all excited and it’s fun to have football back. But remember, there is more to RB than running. We don’t know anything about his pass pro and he didn’t get to show us his receiving skills. One of those can get the QB killed and the other can make it hard on the QB not to get killed. And the 3rd RB has to play special teams and do it well. Didn’t see him do that either.

And just remember we were all convinced Telesco was an idiot and someone would steal Bandy from us last year.

Hoping Dotson ends up being great.
TG

[Steve]

It also helps to remember that the Rams had major breakdowns on those runs. Their edge rushers / fill players lost contain so that all Dotson had to do was outrun Ram's defenders. Their perimeter guys also got caught inside, so there was no one there to catch him if he did get outside and in the secondary.

It wasn't like the Davis return, where the blocking was good, but he still had to make a man miss before he could turn on the jets. I give Davis more credit for his return because he had to do something more than run in a straight line.

Not trying to knock Dotson. He made the play the way it had to be made, so he deserves some credit for that. And the end to the run where he lowered his shoulder and tried to finish, that's good for a UDFA. He didn't do it like they taught, but just the act of going through the motions is a positive. And he got the score, also a positive. He also did a nice job of seeing the D and bouncing the run outside (both were off-tackle runs). He did some good things, but there is more to being an NFL RB than just running. I

As Heatmiser says, there are a lot of things he has to show that we haven't seen him do. The coaches have seen him doing those things in practice, but as far as just running the ball, there are tons of college and pro-FA who can do that. It is those others that will make or break his chances of making the team.

It is convenient to give the RB credit, but the OL did a good job, the Rams made some mistakes too. The TE and FB did a solid job of blocking as well. And Moore's playcalling earlier got the Rams defenders bunched up and jumping into the middle, which got them out of position in order to set up Dotson's run (the beakdowns).

It will be interesting to see how everyone performs through the rest of PS. The running game was night and day better than it was last year, regular season or PS. The OL was firing off the ball together, the interior OL were handing off their double teams and the guys pulling and leading did a nice job. The TE's were not a liability on the edge, like last year. Blockers were generally sustaining their blocks. The running backs had confidence in the interior blocking and were hitting the holes hard and fast. Even in the plays the Rams basically defended OK, we were getting decent yardage inside (3 or 4 yards) because everyone was working together.

I like what I saw against the Rams. It's going to be a long season, but it was a nice first week, if they can keep it up.

[madcaplaughs]

what I liked most about those 2 runs to the outside left, is that they were set up by sucess down the middle

[Boltjolt]

We are all excited and it’s fun to have football back. But remember, there is more to RB than running. We don’t know anything about his pass pro and he didn’t get to show us his receiving skills. One of those can get the QB killed and the other can make it hard on the QB not to get killed. And the 3rd RB has to play special teams and do it well. Didn’t see him do that either.

And just remember we were all convinced Telesco was an idiot and someone would steal Bandy from us last year.

Hoping Dotson ends up being great.
TG

Not all, I wasn't on the Bandy wagon. He was JAG to me. I'll be surprised if he makes Denvers team.

And agree, pass pro is a big deal for RBs.

[Topcat]

I reminder some one here posting that Horvath was as good as gone when they signed Kellen Moore as the new OC...there could be something there...it's not Horvath has really done much to justify being on the 53 man roster either...he is a draft pick but so is rountree and rountree got cut his second year then later added back to practice squad...I think Horvath is a guy that would clear waivers just like rountree has and will again...both of those guys are headed to the PS...I don't think dotson clears waivers after what he did last night, and we haven't even seen him in the passing game or return game which are two of his calling cards...

No way Dotson clears waivers...after last night, there's several teams out there licking their chops ready to poach him...

[Topcat]

what I liked most about those 2 runs to the outside left, is that they were set up by sucess down the middle

Right...imagine Dotson in there with Kelley or Spiller...the latter two are more threats to run up the middle, and Dotson a threat to go outside...all this stretches out the D and opens things up big time...I'd also like to see how well Dotson does running inside...if he's a dual threat, wow...

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

He could be our Isaiah Pacheco.

Exactly.

[Topcat]

It is convenient to give the RB credit, but the OL did a good job, the Rams made some mistakes too. The TE and FB did a solid job of blocking as well. And Moore's playcalling earlier got the Rams defenders bunched up and jumping into the middle, which got them out of position in order to set up Dotson's run (the beakdowns).

You could say Dotson caught the Rams napping on that first TD run...but what about the second one? Failure of the D to adjust, or another nice run? Or both?

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

Right...imagine Dodson in there with Kelley or Spiller...the latter two are more threats to run up the middle, and Dodson a threat to go outside...all this stretches out the D and opens things up big time...I'd also like to see how well Dodson does running inside...if he's a dual threat, wow...

It's 'Dotson', you knucklehead! lol