-black
04-05-2007, 06:56 PM
how happy was everyone when we drafted Kenyatta Walker? an OT that most felt should have went top 5 (considering he was rated by some higher than Davis and invited to the draft). I like looking back at how players were viewed coming out and its mind boggling how many times the word franchise came out with him
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2001/draft/news/2001/04/21/buccaneers_draft_ap/t1_walker_ap-01.jpg
I think Tony Dungy is the happiest man in the NFL right now. He started the day with the 21st pick in the first round. He ended the day with a Pro Bowl left tackle. Those are rare, you know.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news/2001/04/21/king_final_apr21/
No team has done more this offseason to try to get to the Super Bowl than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They signed free agent Brad Johnson, the quarterback they feel can get them over the hump offensively, and then drafted Florida's Kenyatta Walker on Saturday to help protect the team's five-year, $28 million investment.
Left tackle was the only weakness the Bucs felt they had not addressed during a busy winter in which they signed Johnson, claimed Ryan Leaf off waivers and upgraded one of the NFL's top defenses by luring free agent Simeon Rice.
To get Walker, the second offensive tackle taken in the draft, general manager Rich McKay traded up seven spots from No. 21, swapping first-round positions with the Buffalo Bills and also giving up Tampa Bay's second-round selection, No. 51 overall.
"We feel extremely fortunate based on the way we rated this player," McKay said. "He fits what we wanted to do in the early rounds."
The Bucs paved the way Friday to address the left tackle situation, which has been a trouble spot since Paul Gruber broke his leg in the 1999 regular season finale and retired last fall.
The team released defensive end Chidi Ahanotu, clearing more than $5 million of salary cap space and putting them into a position where they could afford to move up and get Walker or continue pursuit of free agent left tackle Richmond Webb.
Incumbent Pete Pierson will head into training camp as the projected starter this fall, however Walker will get an opportunity to earn the job.
"Right now, I just want to contribute to this team anyway I can and do my best," Walker said by telephone from New York. "I want to go out there and play, and even though I'm going to make a couple of mistakes, keep my head up."
Leonard Davis of Texas was the first offensive lineman selected, going to the Arizona Cardinals on the second pick. When Cincinnati didn't take Walker fourth overall, the Bucs felt they had a shot at the 6-foot-4, 302-pound native of Meridian, Miss. -- though not at No. 21.
McKay began making calls to teams drafting ninth on down and worked out a deal with Buffalo after Jacksonville opted for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud over Walker with the 13th pick.
"After Jacksonville picked, I didn't know where I could end up," said Walker, a fourth-year junior who gave up his final season of eligibility at Florida to enter the draft.
"It shows how much they liked me to come and get me. If you think about it, they may have been able to wait until the 21st pick. The way this draft was going I might have still been there. You never know."
Walker played right tackle in college, however the Bucs are confident he has the athleticism to make the switch to the left side. There's no question about his pass-blocking skills after three seasons at Florida, and offensive line coach Chris Foerster said the Gators also ran the ball enough for the team to gauge him as a run blocker.
"I'm hard-pressed to find a negative," Foerster said.
"I like his approach to the game. He plays every snap. And what you really saw [on film], was in the big games this guy shows up. Obviously he's got an adjustment to make coming to the NFL, but the guy stood up in the big games and said he was going to play against the good players."
The Bucs insisted they wouldn't hold themselves hostage to addressing a particular need with their pick. But Walker, the first offensive lineman Tampa Bay has taken in the first round since Charles McRae in 1991, is considered a prospect capable of anchoring a line for a decade or more.
"There will be a transition time, but I don't think it will be very long," McKay said of shifting Walker from right to left tackle. "He's a great athlete and has excellent feet and balance. We don't envision it to be a monumental change."
Walker's disappointment in not being picked sooner was tempered by going to a team that figures to be a Super Bowl contender. It didn't hurt, either, that Tampa is only a two-hour drive from the Florida campus.
"I think things happen for a reason. I can't help but be excited," Walker said, adding that going 14th instead of in the top 10 won't necessarily be a motivation for him to have an outstanding rookie season.
"I was going to have something to prove anyway, just being that high of a draft pick," he said. "Being a rookie, you have something to prove regardless. Right now, I don't think it's proving anything to somebody else. It's proving to the team that picked me that everybody was right on their staff, that I am a great player and I will be in Tampa Bay for a very long time."
here are where the experts thought he would do
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2001/draft/news/2001/04/17/experts_picks2/
Scott from this site had him going 4th overall
tell me Bucs fans (and be honest)....were you thrilled when we ended up drafting him? curious
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2001/draft/news/2001/04/21/buccaneers_draft_ap/t1_walker_ap-01.jpg
I think Tony Dungy is the happiest man in the NFL right now. He started the day with the 21st pick in the first round. He ended the day with a Pro Bowl left tackle. Those are rare, you know.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news/2001/04/21/king_final_apr21/
No team has done more this offseason to try to get to the Super Bowl than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They signed free agent Brad Johnson, the quarterback they feel can get them over the hump offensively, and then drafted Florida's Kenyatta Walker on Saturday to help protect the team's five-year, $28 million investment.
Left tackle was the only weakness the Bucs felt they had not addressed during a busy winter in which they signed Johnson, claimed Ryan Leaf off waivers and upgraded one of the NFL's top defenses by luring free agent Simeon Rice.
To get Walker, the second offensive tackle taken in the draft, general manager Rich McKay traded up seven spots from No. 21, swapping first-round positions with the Buffalo Bills and also giving up Tampa Bay's second-round selection, No. 51 overall.
"We feel extremely fortunate based on the way we rated this player," McKay said. "He fits what we wanted to do in the early rounds."
The Bucs paved the way Friday to address the left tackle situation, which has been a trouble spot since Paul Gruber broke his leg in the 1999 regular season finale and retired last fall.
The team released defensive end Chidi Ahanotu, clearing more than $5 million of salary cap space and putting them into a position where they could afford to move up and get Walker or continue pursuit of free agent left tackle Richmond Webb.
Incumbent Pete Pierson will head into training camp as the projected starter this fall, however Walker will get an opportunity to earn the job.
"Right now, I just want to contribute to this team anyway I can and do my best," Walker said by telephone from New York. "I want to go out there and play, and even though I'm going to make a couple of mistakes, keep my head up."
Leonard Davis of Texas was the first offensive lineman selected, going to the Arizona Cardinals on the second pick. When Cincinnati didn't take Walker fourth overall, the Bucs felt they had a shot at the 6-foot-4, 302-pound native of Meridian, Miss. -- though not at No. 21.
McKay began making calls to teams drafting ninth on down and worked out a deal with Buffalo after Jacksonville opted for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud over Walker with the 13th pick.
"After Jacksonville picked, I didn't know where I could end up," said Walker, a fourth-year junior who gave up his final season of eligibility at Florida to enter the draft.
"It shows how much they liked me to come and get me. If you think about it, they may have been able to wait until the 21st pick. The way this draft was going I might have still been there. You never know."
Walker played right tackle in college, however the Bucs are confident he has the athleticism to make the switch to the left side. There's no question about his pass-blocking skills after three seasons at Florida, and offensive line coach Chris Foerster said the Gators also ran the ball enough for the team to gauge him as a run blocker.
"I'm hard-pressed to find a negative," Foerster said.
"I like his approach to the game. He plays every snap. And what you really saw [on film], was in the big games this guy shows up. Obviously he's got an adjustment to make coming to the NFL, but the guy stood up in the big games and said he was going to play against the good players."
The Bucs insisted they wouldn't hold themselves hostage to addressing a particular need with their pick. But Walker, the first offensive lineman Tampa Bay has taken in the first round since Charles McRae in 1991, is considered a prospect capable of anchoring a line for a decade or more.
"There will be a transition time, but I don't think it will be very long," McKay said of shifting Walker from right to left tackle. "He's a great athlete and has excellent feet and balance. We don't envision it to be a monumental change."
Walker's disappointment in not being picked sooner was tempered by going to a team that figures to be a Super Bowl contender. It didn't hurt, either, that Tampa is only a two-hour drive from the Florida campus.
"I think things happen for a reason. I can't help but be excited," Walker said, adding that going 14th instead of in the top 10 won't necessarily be a motivation for him to have an outstanding rookie season.
"I was going to have something to prove anyway, just being that high of a draft pick," he said. "Being a rookie, you have something to prove regardless. Right now, I don't think it's proving anything to somebody else. It's proving to the team that picked me that everybody was right on their staff, that I am a great player and I will be in Tampa Bay for a very long time."
here are where the experts thought he would do
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2001/draft/news/2001/04/17/experts_picks2/
Scott from this site had him going 4th overall
tell me Bucs fans (and be honest)....were you thrilled when we ended up drafting him? curious