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Titans TE Walker emerging as 'key cog' in offense
National Football League

Titans TE Walker emerging as 'key cog' in offense

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:25 p.m. ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans offensive coordinator Jason Michael saw firsthand that Delanie Walker was on the verge of becoming a front-line tight end in the NFL.

From 2009 to 2010, McDaniel was an offensive assistant, including quarterbacks coach in 2010, for the 49ers, who had the enviable depth at tight end of standout Vernon Davis and Walker, a budding backup that eventually stepped from the shadows to sign a free agency deal last season with the Titans.

"He has grown as a player in every direction," Michael said of Walker, who enjoyed a career day in the loss to the Cowboys, posting 10 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. "It's just not being one-dimensional. He works hard in all phases. Now, you see what has come out of the passing game, but he's worked hard at all facets of his game to be balanced."

All that never fully materialized last season for Walker, even though he caught 60 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns -- all career highs. But he entered 2013 coming off knee surgery that bothered him all season, as evidenced by only 11 starts in 15 games played.

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This year, though, it's a different deal completely. Walker is healthy and a key target in the new offense of first-year coach Ken Whisenhunt. But Walker also knows highlight reels like versus the Cowboys -- including a rousing 61-yard scoring catch where he bounced off one defender and outraced four others to the end zone -- won't see much of the light of day if the team doesn't win.

"That's funny," Walker said, "but it's not really about me. At the end of the day, if we would have won, I would have been probably all over (national television highlights) and them talking about me scoring a touchdown and the speed I've got. But until that happens, I am worried about us winning games."

It was that speed after the catch on the scoring catch that surprised many, even his coach. But Whisenhunt also had seen enough of Walker during his days of returning kickoffs for the 49ers to know he had ability to do something with the ball once it reached his hands.

"He had more speed than I thought he did when he had that long run (after the catch)," Whisenhunt said of Walker, a 2007 undrafted free agent signee by the 49ers out of Central Missouri State, where he was NCAA Division III 100-yard dash national champion at 10.6 seconds. "Delanie has always impressed me," Whisenhunt added. "If you think about the kickoff returns that he has done in this league, you've got to have pretty good speed to be successful at that. And he's done that, so I've always thought of him as a fast player."

While Walker is coming off the career day, don't expect him to be the focal point of the offense, but rather a key cog.

Wide receivers Kendall Wright, Nate Washington and Justin Hunter form a solid receiving trio, versatile Dexter McCluster can run and catch, and running backs Shonn Greene, the burly veteran, and Bishop Sankey, the shifty rookie, all make for an offense with multiple options.

"We have understood the talent that Delanie brings to our offense from the beginning," Locker said. "And you just saw it showcased some (against the Cowboys). He did a great job and made some big plays, and we were able to get him the football. But that could be anyone of our guys on Sunday."

Whisenhunt agreed.

"It really doesn't have any impact on the next week's game plan," the coach said of targeting a player the next contest after a big game. "I think it was Delanie's turn this last game. It was different guys' turns in the first game. A lot of different guys have made plays for us."

Even so, Walker has finally blossomed into that all-around tight end that Michael saw during their days together with the 49ers.

"I think it's just the overall understanding in the big picture of what (Walker) does now," Michael said. "He wasn't doing all those things. Having him do what he did while playing there (with the 49ers) and what he has done here, it's the big picture. And that comes with being a vet.

"Now, he understands maybe it's not just the route he's running but how it ties into the plans, how to attack the defense, to get open, to have those opportunities he had last week."

The Titans face a stern test Sunday against the Bengals, who are allowing only 13 points per game, third-best in the NFL. But that comes while yielding 366 yards per game (26th in the NFL), including 270.5 yards per game through the air (27th). Last Sunday, the Titans were held scoreless in the first half, showed life with 10 unanswered points to begin the second half, but couldn't close from there.

"I think it's a mindset," Walker said of the offense averting another slow start. "We can practice all week -- and I felt that we always have good practices where I feel like we should start off fast -- but it's just a mindset where guys coming in from the beginning of the game and say, 'Look, this is all about us. Let's go out there and do what we do.'

"So, it's going to be a mindset, and we've got to fix that. (Whisenhunt) talks about somebody needs to make a play, but at the end of the day, we've all got to go out there and make a play. We can't just lay it on one guy to make a play to get us started. That's one thing we have got to fix."

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