BEREA – When it comes to the name Dorsey, most of the Browns talk has been
centered on backup quarterback Ken Dorsey. However, there is another Dorsey on
the roster who is being looked at just as closely.
He is Nat Dorsey. He was acquired last season in a trade with the Vikings for
Melvin Fowler at the start of the regular season.
With the arthroscopic surgery on Ryan Tucker’s knee, Dorsey is being looked at
closely to see if he can be the answer now and in the long-term as a backup or
starter on the line. He started camp as Kevin Shaffer’s backup at left tackle,
but was switched to the right side as well, after the injury sidelined Tucker.
He started at right tackle against the Eagles in the first preseason game and
was switched to left tackle in the second quarter. His performance received
mixed reviews as he was beaten on a sack to Ken Dorsey, but he did show some
positives.
“(Tucker) set the bar so high with his level of play,” he said. “I just want to
get to that level myself.”
At 6-7 and 344 pounds he is one of the biggest players on the roster. He
admitted he was closer to 365 pounds when he first joined the team. He was
placed on a diet and a weight program by strength and conditioning coach John
Lott in the off-season to redistribute his weight.
“My body feels much better,” Dorsey said. “I am stronger and faster with the
weight that I lost. I feel much better about myself.
“I really have focused on my weight and conditioning to show the coaches how
serious I am about playing this year.”
Dorsey has caught the attention of Romeo Crennel.
“He’s making improvement,” Crennel said. “Offensive lineman, sometimes take a
couple of years to develop.”
Dorsey was a fourth-round pick of the Vikings in 2004 from Georgia Tech. He
played left tackle in college and started seven games at right tackle for
Minnesota as a rookie.
“This is my third year, but I’m still very young,” Dorsey said. “It’s my chance
to show what I can do.”
Dorsey thinks he’s doing pretty well, thus far.
“I think I’m having a pretty good camp,” he said. “Last year, I got here so late
I was only able to work with the show team. This year, I’ve been here the whole
off-season and have been able to learn the plays and the offense.”
By coming over on September 4, 2005 in the trade with Minnesota, he really had a
lost season, as far as seriously challenging for playing time early on.
“When I was in Minnesota I was there for all the mini camps and was able to get
all of the kinks out,” he said. “That’s why I’m excited this year, because I’ve
been here and have been able to go through all of the minicamps and other
off-season programs.”
With Tucker projected to be out until the start of the regular season, Dorsey is
going to get plenty of work to see if he will fit into the Browns long-range
plans as a starting tackle.