RT Demar Dotson Says Broncos' Locker Room is 'The Best I've Been in'

The Denver Broncos have been embroiled in a controversy of sorts this week after rookie wideout Jerry Jeudy posted some questionable tweets that seemed to take passive/aggressive shots at his quarterback and offensive coordinator.

We've since heard from head coach Vic Fangio on the subject, as well as quarterback Drew Lock — and even offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. There are all the guys who've been ostensibly roped into Jeudy's social media temper tantrum.

What about a player who is, for the most part, considered best seen and not heard? Typically, when you're not hearing the name of an offensive lineman consistently, it means that he's doing his job and well.

Such has been the case for veteran right tackle Demar Dotson, who joined the Broncos on the doorstep of the season-opener after Ja'Wuan James opted out of the 2020 season. Dotson brings a unique insight to the table, in terms of the well-being of the Broncos' locker room, because he was a newer face.

Amid all the histrionics of Jeudy on social media, which then forced the Broncos to address the rookie's lack of touches via the press availability of Fangio, Shurmur, and Lock, Dotson took to the airwaves on Wednesday night and in one fell swoop, quashed any notion of turmoil in the Broncos' locker room.

"This has been the best locker room I've been in," Dotson told Benjamin Allbright and Ryan Edwards of KOARadio's Broncos Country Tonight.

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Dotson provided further context to Allbright and Edwards.

"When you first get here, you don't know what to think because you don't really know anybody yet so you have to take that time to really get adjusted. And then once I got here, for a few weeks, I started being around the guys in the locker room and realize what type of guys they are—and it's been a tremendous locker room," Dotson said. "It's been a blessing to me. I know I said on the radio not too long ago, that this has been the best locker room I've been in. And I really mean it. It's been something like almost reviving my career, coming to a new place and playing around these guys—a lot of young guys. Man, it's been a great experience."

Dotson wasn't speaking specifically to the Jeudy drama but as a 12th-year veteran, his take on the locker room he stepped into only a few short months ago is authoritative. My read on the situation is this; Jeudy's Twitter blowup is not emblematic of any lasting rift in the locker room. It's a prideful rookie blowing off steam and being that squeaky wheel.

My guess is, Jeudy will get some grease this week at the Carolina Panthers and this whole storm will blow over and be forgotten. Jeudy went from being a big fish in a medium-sized pond at Alabama to being a minnow in the ocean that is the NFL.

Along the way, he's had to learn quickly and adapt to the league and let's face it; he hasn't been perfect. Jeudy suffered from a bad case of the 'dropsies' early this season. And had to roll with the punches of a quarterback carousel from Weeks 2-6.

He broke out in Week 9 at Atlanta but has struggled to produce since. Part of that is on him and he would be wise to take extreme ownership of his own play. But part of it is on a still-developing Lock.

Wide receiver is a dependent position. Jeudy's production on gameday is dependent on the game-plan, the play-calls, and the reads and throws of the quarterback.

Lock hasn't looked his way enough. There's no getting around that. And Shurmur could work harder to make Jeudy more of a focus in the offense. But at the end of the day, Jeudy has to own up to his own shortcomings and whatever frustrations he might have, keep them in-house and take them to the people in question (I.E.: the OC/QB).

As for Dotson, he's been a revelation for the Broncos at right tackle. Since taking over for Elijah Wilkinson early this season, Dotson has gone on to post some really solid marks as both a run and pass blocker. Dotson currently carries a 70.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

He's allowed just 11 QB pressures all season and no sacks. Read that again. Dotson has not relinquished a single sack this year.

The veteran signed a one-year, $2.734 million deal with the Broncos. At 35 years old, he'll hit unrestricted free agency once again this spring and even though James is under contract for 2021, the Broncos would be wise to offer another low-end deal to Dotson and keep him around for insurance.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.

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