Demar Dotson stops holdout, reports to minicamp without new contract

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can rest a little easier: Demar Dotson will report to minicamp on Monday, the first set of mandatory workouts this offseason, Pewter Report reports. Dotson was not at OTAs the past few weeks as he's seeking a contract extension, but he's apparently not willing to risk the fines that come with missing mandatory practices.

Dotson is one of the best right tackles in the NFL, but has been paid like a poor starter throughout his contract: per Over The Cap's numbers, 28 right tackles earn more money per year than Dotson does. That's pretty outrageous, given Dotson's consistently high standard of play.

The Bucs had offered him a contract that would compensate him as a top 10 right tackle, according to Pewter Report, but language like that doesn't mean all that much. Dotson declined that contract, and he was likely right to do so: according to Over The Cap, the 10th-best compensated right tackle has a contract worth $5.3 million per year. That's solid, but at 29 Dotson has only a few years left to cash in on his play and will want to get better than just a solid contract.

The Bucs made some noise about not negotiating with players who aren't practicing with the team, but those noises tend to be hollow when players who actually matter to the team hold out. With the Bucs set to start two rookies on the offensive line, they can't afford to be without Dotson, either. I'd expect Dotson and the team to reach agreement on a deal at some point over the next couple of months.