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Disgruntled Bucs tackle meets with coach Jon Gruden, who says player still can earn way into lineup.
By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 10, 2002
TAMPA -- If clothes really do make the man, Kenyatta Walker didn't look like much of a football player Sunday.
Upset he was out of uniform as an inactive player during the Bucs' 26-20 overtime loss to New Orleans, he vented his frustration after the game.
The dressing down continued Monday morning when coach Jon Gruden met with Walker at One Buc Place.
"I talked to Kenyatta this morning, and I understand his frustration," Gruden said. "All I can say is that as long as I'm head coach here, we're going to base everything we do on performance and we're going to do whatever is in the best interest of the football team. ... It's been addressed, the issued is closed and we need to move on.
"We're not playing head games with anyone. Until we see (Walker as) a polished right tackle, a guy we see as the best player at that position, we're going to continue to go with Cornell Green. We expect Kenyatta to come out on the practice field and compete. And hopefully, regain that status at some point soon."
Certainly, the Bucs could use an effective Walker's help. Quarterback Brad Johnson took a beating from the Saints defense Sunday, getting hit on nearly every passing attempt and sacked three times. He finished 28-of-52 passing for 278 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
More than Walker, the Bucs are counting on starting right guard Cosey Coleman possibly returning to the lineup. Coleman has not played since tearing the meniscus in his left knee Aug. 12.
"He's got to go out there and show it was physically ready to play, change directions and play violent inside," Gruden said of Coleman. "We're going to be optimistic that he'll be available this week. But I don't want to put myself in a position that I can't back up until we see him. But we need him, obviously, and we need Kenyatta to keep coming on."
After watching his linemates struggle to protect Johnson, Walker expressed his disappointment over being inactive. "It's disappointing when they feed you a lot of bulls--- and then stab you in the back," he said.
Johnson declined to place all the blame for the poor pass protection on the offensive line. He also said Walker's comments would not be a distraction heading into Sunday's game at Baltimore.
"I think that's more of a distraction individually right now," Johnson said. "We've all been young, at some point, we've all been benched, we all haven't played well at different times and we've all handled it different ways. And hopefully, he can grow from this. It's something I don't think is going to affect the team at all. At some point this year, we're going to need him. You hate for someone to express their opinions in certain different ways. That reflects upon him and eventually, it reflects upon this organization. Hopefully, he gets it together."
With Coleman hurt and Walker inactive, the Bucs played with four offensive linemen who did not start for the Bucs in 2001: left tackle Roman Oben, left guard Kerry Jenkins, right guard Todd Washington and Green at right tackle. The exception was center Jeff Christy.
Green, whom the Bucs obtained from Miami in exchange for a seventh-round pick, never had taken a snap in a regular-season NFL game before Sunday. He and the Bucs offensive line struggled against the Saints' array of blitzes.
"He did some good things," Gruden said of Green. "He had a couple breakdowns. But I thought he did some good things. He handled himself, he competed. (He) pass protected for the most part when he was one-on-one. There's still some subtleties in his game he's obviously got to improve upon. But I think he will, and hopefully Kenyatta can say the same thing this week and pretty soon we'll be much better collectively at that position."
But Gruden will not give any timetable for when, or if, Walker will return to the lineup.
"It's not a week-to-week thing with Kenyatta Walker. It's a day-to-day thing, honestly," Gruden said. "And that's really what we are trying to accomplish here. It's a day-to-day thing. Forget about week-to-week or month-to-month or even season-to-season.
"We are in this together; (offensive line coach) Bill Muir, myself and Kenyatta Walker plan on doing whatever we need to do to get ready to play.
"And we have a plan for Kenyatta Walker and no one has seen it yet. We're not ready to show you."