Jahan Dotson had a ‘disappointing year and he knows that,’ as Grant Paulsen said Tuesday, and his third season (and first under the new Peters/Quinn era) could be a make-or-break season for the former first-round pick – for it’s the coming off-season where the Commanders must decide on his fifth-year option.
Grant, for one, has lowered his bar on what Dotson could be – ‘when he got his shots last season, he didn’t really excel,’ GP said, but what the Commanders need him to be at minimum is a viable second option and field stretcher behind Terry McLaurin, someone who can be a secondary weapon for Jayden Daniels and help his development this season.
But it’s a new year, and yes, Dotson knows he’s on the clock, too.
“It’s a lot different, almost like night and day last year to this year, and that's something that I won't forget because it wasn't my standard. I didn't live up to my standard or the ability that I know I can play it,” Dotson told GP at Commanders practice Tuesday. “I don't blame that on anyone but myself, but I attacked it this offseason to make sure that this season I do so, and make the plays that I know I know that I can make.”
Step one for that has been learning the new Dan Quinn/Kliff Kingsbury offense, which seems to be going well so far, and step two will be executing it this week against the Jets in a joint practice and a preseason game.
“It’s been really cool getting to know the offense, getting to learn the ins and outs of the offense, and being able to execute at a high level out here,” Dotson said. “Really looking forward to going against the Jets in this joint practice and competing against a different face. It's going to be awesome. It's just a competitive thing at the end of the day, going against a new face, especially early like this where everything is almost brand new, but it’s fun to just compete and go at it with guys.”
Whatever happens, happens, but it’s fun to dream of what could be with Dotson and Daniels.
“It’s really cool to think about, but right now, we’re thinking about today, tomorrow, making sure that we build that relationship and gain the trust that we need to know that we're able to make plays on Sundays,” Dotson said. “It’s creating that chemistry on the field, making sure that we know where each other is going to be at, and when he wants the ball out, where he wants it to be, and where he wants me to be.”
GP had high statistical hopes for Dotson last year and they fell short, and while Dotson has some for himself this season, he’s not going to share them until he knows how well he did living up to them.
“I'm just always trying to be better than I was last time, that’s a big thing for me. I have some goals written down in my notebook, but those are for me; I'll share those with you guys at the end of the season, and hopefully I exceed those to the max and make a name for myself,” Dotson said. “But you can only control what you can control, and try to make the most out of it. At the end of the day, I’m blessed to play this game and be out here doing what I love to do every day, so I'm just trying to make the most of it. It’s gonna be exciting, and we’re going to play our hearts out.”