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Bucs' Demar Dotson should be back from injury next week

 
Bucs tackle Demar Dotson, shown last year when he signed a three-year contract extension, should only miss a week of practice with his groin injury and can return healthy for the Bucs' season opener at Miami in three weeks. [Octavio Jones | Times]
Bucs tackle Demar Dotson, shown last year when he signed a three-year contract extension, should only miss a week of practice with his groin injury and can return healthy for the Bucs' season opener at Miami in three weeks. [Octavio Jones | Times]
Published Aug. 20, 2017

The Bucs got good news on starting right tackle Demar Dotson, whose MRI showed only a mild right groin sprain and should be back at practice next week.

Dotson said he actually suffered the injury in practice Tuesday and came out after 11 snaps in Thursday's preseason win at Jacksonville. Dotson was relieved to have only a low-grade sprain, and should be able to return healthy for the Bucs' season opener in three weeks at Miami.

"It's not too bad," Dotson said. "It was more a precautionary thing to get it tested out. I had the same one last year in the preseason and missed a few days. It's just the wear and tear of training camp, but we know the protocol to get it back."

The Bucs have limited proven depth at tackle, so keeping Dotson healthy is a major plus entering the season. The Bucs will likely have two second-year players as their backup tackles in Caleb Benenoch and Leonard Wester, and could use starting left guard Kevin Pamphile there if necessary as well. Benenoch was also sidelined with a minor injury Sunday, so Wester took reps as the first-string right tackle.