Tag: Doc Walker

Former Washington TE Doc Walker calls Commanders ‘a crap show’

Walker saying what Commanders’ fans know all too well. “A crap show.”

“It’s really not easy covering this crap up. You basically have the assignment of covering for a crap show.”

That’s how Rick “Doc” Walker opened his appearance on the “Chris Russell Show” on Thursday, over on Team 980. Walker spent all three hours with Russell on Thursday’s program.

Walker continued, “That’s the way it is. And it’s been worse. You’ve been here quite a long time, as I have done this quite a long time, and it makes you really remember the good times.”

Walker a former tight end, played for the Redskins 1980-1985. In his seasons with Washington. the Redskins were 6-10 in 1980, 8-8 in 1981, Super Bowl Champs in 1982, NFC Champs in 1983, NFC East Champs for a third consecutive year in 1984 and 10-6 in 1985.

The remainder of the Joe Gibbs (1.0) era saw the Redskins finish 12-4 and lose the NFC Championship game, Super Bowl Champs (1987), 7-9 Gibbs’ only losing season in 1988, 10-6 in 1989, 10-6 in 1990 winning a road playoff game, Super Bowl Champs in 1991 and 9-7 winners of a road playoff game in 1992.

Walker was reminding Russell and all of the football fans listening to 980, “There is no guarantee you will ever experience it again, but I sure hope so. Because I miss it, and it does make me remember the good times and the great moments we experienced through this ball club.”

“But there is no guarantee that will ever happen again.”

Russell replied that he has been covering and reporting on the team for 14 years and has been fooled more than once, thinking surely the team was going to break through and be good again.

Walker talked of how he thought, “there is no way we are losing to the Giants,” but he, like all the rest of us, was again disappointed by the Commanders.

He suggested that perhaps Sam Howell is not going to be able to fix this problem of holding onto the ball too long. Then he quickly transitioned to how Giants DC Wink Martindale was ahead of Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy last Sunday.

Walker expressed his frustration that Martindale repeatedly showed early he was calling for blitzers and pressure, but the Commanders offensive coaches and players seemed to have no answers.

Russell pointed out that Bieniemy talked of their making adjustments but asked Walker, wasn’t Bieniemy late with the adjustments? To which Walker unhesitatingly declared yes, because the entire first half the offense was being overmatched by the Giants’ execution of the Martindale attack on Howell.

 

Doc Walker: How about the Commanders being competitive?

Doc Walker tells it like it is regarding the Commanders.

Richard “Doc” Walker is frustrated with the Commanders.

The former Cincinnati Bengal and Washington Redskin tight end was a guest on the “Sports Junkies” Tuesday on 106.7 The Fan.

In his appearance, he discussed his frustration with the ownership, coaches and players.

“This is a week-to-week business, and I am trying to beat Atlanta. I’m not throwing the season away. We’ve had two disastrous performances, which is not natural for Pro Football. You can lose a game, but you are not supposed to get slaughtered.”

Walker is not merely calling out the players, but he had some issues with ownership as well. “You should not be in charge of anything you don’t own, expressed Walker. So Walker stressed that ownership should be meeting with current head coach Ron Rivera because “we can’t wait until next year.”

Walker pointed to the Eagles game, where the Commanders took the Eagles to overtime. “Once you show me you can play, then I expect you to play. I don’t like Jekyll and Hyde; that is not comforting.”

The former UCLA Bruin is not taking the Bears game as casually as we might expect. “My point of emphasis is that we got beat up, we got tore up from the floor up. How about being competitive?”

Clarifying that he was not asking for someone to be fired but was asking for ownership’s involvement. “Are you going to wait until 2024 to get your team motivated?”

“We’re talking about the stadium. I don’t give a crap if they play in a parking lot. I need them to play better. I love the things that happened (ownership transition) the enthusiasm, but on game day, I expect to win, not just participate.”

“All I care about is how do we beat Atlanta? Or are we just tanking for Caleb (USC’s Caleb Williams)? Is that it? Is this a plot for a draft pick?”

Linebacker Cody Barton among the early standouts for the Commanders in training camp

One Washington legend is high on the new linebacker.

The Washington Commanders agreed to terms with linebacker Cody Barton on the first day of the legal tampering period this spring. Washington signed Barton to a modest one-year deal worth $3.5 million.

The Commanders had signed Barton to play Mike linebacker, with last year’s starter, Cole Holcomb, still in play to return. However, once Barton landed with Washington, Holcomb agreed to a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Mike linebacker position was Barton’s to lose in 2023.

While Barton learned the offense in the spring, he now looks completely comfortable through the first week of training camp.

Barton has been active in training camp thus far, particularly when the pads came on this week. Barton stood out, stuffing running lanes behind Washington’s vaunted defensive line. Barton has looked confident and fast thus far.

Barton has also looked comfortable in coverage.

In a recent appearance on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast, former Washington tight end and longtime analyst Rick “Doc” Walker joined to offer his observations on training camp after one week.

Sheehan asked about specific players, including Barton.

“Love him,” Walker said.

“Cody is the kind of guy that’s on all really good teams. He’s not a combine guy, but as soon as you put the pads on today, he stands out like a sore thumb. He’s a contact freak. He’s athletic enough and got size. He’s going to be a terror. He’s a terror.”

Jamin Davis entered the 2023 season as the only “sure thing” at linebacker. And the third-year former first-round pick is far from a sure thing. Sure, he improved last season, but the coaching staff wants more from Davis. Davis had a procedure this offseason, leading him to miss OTAs, which left him a bit behind entering training camp.

Davis is also dealing with a legal issue involving a reckless driving concision, opening the door for Barton and Khaleke Hudson to impress.

Ultimately, Washington would love for Barton and Davis to start, with Hudson serving as the third linebacker in 2023.

Head coach Ron Rivera and defensive linebacker Jack Del Rio, former NFL starting linebackers, have often been criticized for what fans felt like ignoring the linebacker position.

Have they finally found their guy in Barton? We won’t know until the games begin, but the early signs are encouraging.