Contest likely for guard job

Dotson, Green candidates for position

Steelers offensive lineman Kevin Dotson might have spilled the beans, but one of the training camp battles to watch later this summer will be between him and Kendrick Green for the open job at left guard.

How the interior of the offensive line shakes out after the additions of Mason Cole and James Daniels in free agency has been a lingering question the Steelers failed to address since doling out a combined $41 million to their new inside tandem.

“We added a few more people, and there’s definitely going to be a competition between me and K.G.,” Dotson said. “It’s all a competition and competition brings the best out of people.”

For Dotson, it means what figures to be a permanent move to left guard with the arrival of Daniels, who is slated to play on the right side. Dotson played right guard for five seasons in college and his first season with the Steelers, but he was switched to the left side last year after Trai Turner was signed as a free agent.

“I worked on being on the left side during the offseason,” Dotson said. “I wasn’t comfortable all last year. I’m way more comfortable now. You kind of have to switch your brain. Muscles I wasn’t using on the left side, when I switched, I legit started getting cramps on my left side because my body didn’t feel right.”

Dotson also dealt with a major ankle injury that pretty much wiped out his second season. He was injured early in training camp, missed eight games and never got his ankle back to full strength.

“It’s been crazy injury-wise because I had never been injured before,” Dotson said. “It kind of took a toll on me not being able to play. I was trying to get back, and that’s what kind of messed me up. I tried to be the hero and come back. They told me something like 3-6 weeks and I tried to come back Week 6 when I wasn’t 100 percent. It happened the next day.”

Now, entering his third season, Dotson will compete with Green, who is making the transition back to guard after starting at center as a rookie last season. Green started a few games at center in college at Illinois, but he played mostly at guard.

Green said he is playing guard and center this spring.

“It’s an adjustment,” he said.

“Last year was a new position and getting comfortable. I still don’t feel 100 percent comfortable playing center. It’s a different stance. It’s getting used to that and being able to move functionally that way was the biggest thing, and I’m still working on it.”

Green struggled and after a late-season calf injury lost his job to J.C. Hassenauer. The Steelers had to rush Green, a third-round pick last year, because Maurkice Pouncey retired and cap constraints due to COVID-19 restricted them from addressing the position via free agency.

“Last year around this time I was like a 2,” Green said of his comfort level at center. “And right now I’m like a 6 or 7. Obviously, you want to be a 10.”