Delanie Walker

TE Delanie Walker Retires After 14 Seasons

Delanie Walker has not seen the field since 2019, but today marks the official end of his career. The 38-year-old tight end has retired from the NFL after 14 seasons evenly split between the 49ers and Titans.

A 2006 sixth-round pick, Walker spent the first seven seasons of his career in San Francisco. He played an ancillary receiving role during his time in the Bay Area, though, never eclipsing 29 catches or three touchdowns in any one season there. His arrival in Tennessee as a free agent in 2013 was thus met with little fanfare relative to what he ultimately accomplished.

The Central Missouri State product’s first year as a Titan saw him set career-highs across the board in receiving, yardage and touchdown totals. He surpassed those figures during a three-year stretch from 2015-17, in which he was named a Pro Bowler each season. Across his first five campaigns in Nashville, Walker led the NFL in catches by a tight end; he ranks second in franchise history in that department with 381 receptions.

Ankle injuries derailed his final two seasons, however. Walker was limited to just eight games between 2018 and 2019. As a free agent in 2020, he drew interest from the Ravens and Patriots, but ultimately opted out of that season. He eyed a comeback last year, in which the 49ers hosted him for a potential reunion, but no deal materialized. Still, Walker looked back on his career in a positive light.

I would say it worked out better than I could have imagined,” Walker said of his time in Tennessee. “I dreamt about it, and made it come to life because I believed it would. I knew once I had the opportunity, I wasn’t going to let it get away from me. Playing in Tennessee, with the Titans, it was better than I ever dreamed of, and I can’t thank the Titans organization enough for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to do everything I was able to do. It was a dream come true.”

To no surprise, Walker is hanging up his cleats as a member of the Titans. He lamented the lost time due his numerous ankle ailments, but his NFL tenure can widely be viewed as successful given his career ascent in its second chapter.

“Playing this game, I did it for so long, I am so thankful,” he added. “Honestly, I wish I could have played more, but injuries took place and there you have it.”

Delanie Walker On Free Agency, Comeback

Delanie Walker sat out the 2020 season, and he played in only eight games between 2018-19 due to injuries. But the veteran tight end is intent on coming back for the 2021 campaign, despite the fact that he’ll turn 37 in August.

Appearing on a recent episode of Turron Davenport’s podcast, Walker peeled back the curtain on the process and his hopes for his comeback, via Grant Gordon of NFL.com. He had a workout with the 49ers about a month ago, but nothing came of it. “Right now, I couldn’t tell you who I will be playing for or what teams are looking at me,” Walker said. “They talk to me, but at the end of the day, I feel like they think the ankle is a problem and my age. Teams are really not trying to give me a good deal, I feel like.”

Walker said he feels good physically, although he did admit he can’t say for sure how he’d hold up to contact. “I feel like the same Delanie Walker two years ago. But again, you know, I’m a realist. I won’t sit here and be like, ‘Oh, shoot, I can out there and play.’ I can go out there and play, but would I take a hit, would that be a problem? I do not know. I think that’s a concern teams have.” He did add “I feel like the ankle will hold up.”

For now he said he’s just focused on keeping in great shape, and he expressed confidence that he’ll get his opportunity in training camp. “I know that opportunity gonna come where someone’s gonna need a tight end for training camp. And that’s where my opportunity’s gonna come.”

As for a potential landing spot, he unsurprisingly wants to go to a winner. “I feel like I need to get a Super Bowl ring, so my objective is really to try to go to a team that’s a contender. But it is the NFL, you never know what team can be a contender, so my options are open.” 

We heard the Patriots and Ravens were interested last August before he elected to sit out the season and heal up. New England is probably set at tight end after adding Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith this offseason, but perhaps Baltimore could still be interested as an option behind Mark Andrews. It’s been a few years now, but Walker was a Pro Bowler in three straight seasons from 2015-17.d

Titans To Acquire Tight End?

The Titans lost tight end Jonnu Smith to the Patriots in free agency, and they have not done much to replace him. The club re-signed both Anthony Firkser and Geoff Swaim, and at present, those two reside at the top of Tennessee’s TE depth chart.

Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website believes that the Titans will make another addition to their tight end group, though he does not speculate as to who that addition might be. He does not believe that a reunion with old friend Delanie Walker, who recently auditioned for the 49ers, is in the cards.

Although Firkser is officially a tight end, he spent most of his time in 2020 lined up as a slot receiver, reeling in 39 catches for 387 yards (both career highs) and a touchdown. Still, the Titans do love to have two TEs on the field at once, so look for him and Swaim to get considerable playing time, with Firkser perhaps being moved around the formation to create favorable matchups.

As such, it makes sense that the club would look to add another TE, since the next man up behind Firkser and Swaim is 2020 UDFA Jared Pinkney, who spent most of his rookie campaign on the Falcons’ taxi squad. Pinkney did have a successful collegiate career at Vanderbilt and might have been a Day 2 draft pick if he had turned pro in 2019, but his return to college hurt his stock, which led to his being undrafted last year. He will likely need some more seasoning before he becomes a reliable player at the professional level.

At this point in the offseason, there are not many quality free agents available. Tyler Eifert and Trey Burton may be the most notable FAs if Tennessee is, in fact, interested in making an addition. Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz could also be on the move, either via trade or release.

Of course, the Titans continue to be connected to a trade for Falcons star wideout Julio Jones.

49ers Audition Delanie Walker

Delanie Walker could be set for another stint with the 49ers. On Wednesday, the free agent tight end will workout for head coach Kyle Shanahan & Co., according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). 

In August of last year, the Ravens and Patriots both expressed interest in Walker. However, he skipped the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave him an opportunity to get back to 100% health. That’s good news, because the final couple of seasons with the Titans were marred by injuries.

A late-bloomer, Walker never did a ton as a receiver during his first seven years in the NFL with the 49ers. Then, in 2013, he hooked on with the Titans and became one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL for a half decade, making three straight Pro Bowls from 2015-17.

An ankle injury limited him to only one game in 2018, and more ankle issues limited him to seven in 2019. In his last healthy season in 2017, he had 74 catches for 807 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll turn 37 in August, but he could be a solid supporting TE to star George Kittle.

Delanie Walker To Play In 2021

A big name is planning on getting back on the field next season. Veteran tight end Delanie Walker plans to return to the NFL in 2021 after taking the 2020 season off, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Schefter says Walker took the year off due to COVID-19 as well as to get 100 percent healthy, as he struggled with injuries during his final couple seasons with the Titans. We heard back in August that the Ravens and Patriots both had some interest in bringing him in, so those would figure to be teams to watch for whenever he signs this time around.

A late-bloomer, Walker never did a ton as a receiver during his first seven years in the league with the 49ers. He entered the league as a sixth-round pick back in 2006, and didn’t really break out until signing with Tennessee in 2013. He was one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL for a half decade, making three straight Pro Bowls from 2015-17.

An ankle injury limited him to only one game in 2018, and more ankle issues limited him to seven in 2019. In his last healthy season in 2017, he had 74 catches for 807 yards and three touchdowns. He’s 36 now, but due to his pedigree he should be able to find a home assuming he’s actually healthy.

NFC West Notes: Adams, Gordon, 49ers

New Seahawks safety Jamal Adams has told the team that he is content to play out the 2020 season on his current contract, which is one of the reasons why Seattle felt comfortable sending a king’s ransom to the Jets in exchange for the star defender. And as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, Adams says the plan is to spend his entire career with the ‘Hawks. He is confident that his contract situation will work itself out, and it seems likely that the two sides will commence negotiations after the season.

Now for more out of the NFC West:

  • The Seahawks are said to be interested in a reunion with WR Josh Gordon, and apparently the interest is mutual. Gordon recently posted a picture of the Seattle skyline to social media, saying, “Ima [j]uss leave this here and be quiet” (h/t Field Yates of ESPN.com on Twitter). The club is also monitoring Antonio Brown.
  • The Ravens and Patriots are reportedly interested in TE Delanie Walker, and Matt Barrows of The Athletic thinks the 49ers — who drafted Walker in 2006 and employed him through 2012 — would also be a great fit. However, Barrows has not heard anything on that front lately.
  • In the same piece linked above, Barrows says there is a good chance the 49ers use their first-round pick in 2021 on a CB and that the team could also invest some free agent dollars into the position. That could mean re-signing Richard Sherman or bringing in an outside FA.
  • The 49ers recently worked out DL Damontre Moore, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (via Twitter). Moore has bounced around quite a bit since he entered the league as a third-round pick of the Giants in 2013, and he appeared in two games for San Francisco last year before landing on IR.
  • In case you missed it, Cardinals OT Marcus Gilbert has opted out of the 2020 season.

Ravens, Patriots Interested In Delanie Walker

One of the best tight ends left on the market is ready to go. Delanie Walker is 100% healthy and ready to play, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Walker sees the Ravens as a fit, per JLC, and the Patriots also have him on their radar, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). 

Walker – who turns 36 on Aug. 12 – has battled injuries over the past two seasons, but he still profiles as a useful weapon in the passing game and an adept blocker. The Colts, Packers, and Redskins were rumored to have interest in him earlier this year, but the Ravens may be among his top choices at this stage.

The Ravens’ offense relies heavily on tight ends and they could use some reinforcements after trading Hayden Hurst to the Falcons. They’re evaluating Walker, Jordan Reed, and other options as the season draws near, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears.

The Patriots, meanwhile, could use another TE following Matt LaCosse‘s decision to opt out. Currently, their group is headlined by third-round rookies Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, plus the relatively inexperienced Ryan Izzo. Both Walker and Reed would profile as low-risk, potentially high-reward signings to add veteran savvy.

Walker posted four straight 800-yard seasons from 2014-2017, but the 14-year veteran has played in just eight games since. The ankle injury he suffered in September 2018 held him back last season as well. In 2019, Walker finished out with 21 grabs for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

Top Remaining Free Agents

While most of the top free agents in this year’s cycle have long since signed with new clubs, there are plenty of potential difference-makers still available. Those players remain on the market for various reasons — price tag, injury concerns, etc. — but they all could be a key factor in the fortunes of whatever team they ultimately join. Let’s take a look at the best of who’s still out there:

  1. Jadeveon Clowney: If you think you’ve been reading a lot about Clowney over the past couple of months, you’re right. That’s what happens when a former No. 1 overall pick and a young dynamic talent is still up for grabs this late in the offseason. Clowney’s high asking price, originally said to be $20MM per year, certainly scared some teams off, as did his recent core muscle surgery. Some will also point to his relatively low sack totals as evidence that he is not the dynamic pass rushing force that he believes himself to be. But he undeniably has the chops to be a game-changer against the run and pass, and he is content to wait for the right situation to come along. Once teams have the opportunity to evaluate him themselves, his market should heat up rapidly.
  2. Cam Newton: Here’s another former No. 1 overall pick that we have written a great deal about recently. Like Clowney, the 2015 MVP may be signed by now if interested teams could have their own doctors examine him, and Newton is willing to be patient and wait for that to happen if waiting will allow him to secure a starting gig somewhere. But at this point, it looks like only an injury or major underpeformance will open the door for a QB1 role in 2020, so he may have to settle for a top backup job for now and hit the free agent market again in 2021. He is reportedly warming to that idea.
  3. Everson Griffen: Like Clowney, Griffen is a talented pass rusher, but unlike Clowney, Griffen has multiple double-digit sack campaigns under his belt. The 32-year-old posted eight QB takedowns in 2019, and it is a little surprising to see him unsigned this late in the process. A reunion with the Vikings may be in the cards, and the Seahawks are the only other club to be connected to Griffen at this point.
  4. Jason Peters: The only reason Peters isn’t signed yet is because of his age (38). He turned in a typically terrific season in 2019, and he has been connected to a number of clubs over the past couple of months. The problem is, many of those teams have filled their needs at the offensive tackle spots, so even though Peters has said that he is willing to play on the left or the right side, his options are now more limited. The Chargers could still be in play, and another year with the Eagles may also be a reality.
  5. Logan Ryan: Unlike several of the players ahead of him on this list, Ryan doesn’t have any notable health concerns, but his asking price — he’s seeking around $10MM per year — could be depressing his market. He turned in a productive 2019 season with the Titans and has the versatility to move around the defensive backfield, which has apparently led to multi-year offers. Given the need for quality corners in today’s game, Ryan will likely land a lucrative deal soon, it just may not be as lucrative as he wants. The Jets and Dolphins are involved in the bidding.
  6. Markus Golden: Golden enjoyed what appeared to be a breakout season with the Cardinals in 2016, posting 12.5 sacks in just his second year in the league. But injuries limited the edge rusher over the 2017-18 seasons, and he had to settle for a one-year prove-it deal with the Giants in 2019. He perhaps thought that he proved it, recording 10 sacks for Big Blue, but those 10 sacks came from just 26 total pressures, which is probably an unsustainable conversion rate. So far, only the Giants — who put the rarely-used UFA tender on Golden — have been publicly connected to him.
  7. Devonta Freeman: We haven’t heard a peep about the two-time Pro Bowl running back since the Falcons released him in March. The fact that Atlanta replaced him with Todd Gurley and his frightening injury concerns isn’t a good sign, and Freeman’s 3.6 YPC average in 2019 certainly isn’t helping matters either. Freeman’s own injury problems limited him to two games in 2018, so he is now two years removed from his last effective season. It’s nonetheless a bit of a surprise that there have been no rumors of interest in his services.
  8. Delanie Walker: The best tight end left on the market, Walker has battled injuries over the past two seasons and will turn 36 in August, so it makes sense that we haven’t heard too much about him lately. But while he may not be a TE1 anymore, he could still be a useful weapon in the passing game, and he also has a history of being a strong blocker. The Colts, Packers, and Redskins were said to be interested in him in March, and those teams continue to look like good fits even after the draft. The Ravens, who rely heavily on TEs and who traded Hayden Hurst to the Falcons this offseason, also make some sense.
  9. Eric Reid: The 28-year-old safety turned in what appeared to be a strong year in 2019, starting all 16 games for the Panthers and posting a career-best 130 tackles. The problem is, he may have had so many tackle opportunities because he allowed over 77% of throws in his vicinity to be completed. Still, he is an experienced and generally solid back-end defender, and the Texans — who employ his brother, Justin Reid seem like a logical fit.
  10. Darqueze Dennard: Dennard, a former first-round pick of the Bengals, thought he had a deal with the Jaguars in March. But Jacksonville backed out of the deal, and while there was no word on why that happened, it could be that health concerns made the Jags skittish. Dennard missed the first few weeks of the 2019 season due to a knee procedure, but he did play every game from Week 10 forward and graded out well in terms of Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. He has been Cincinnati’s primary slot corner over the past several seasons, but there has been no reported interest in him since the failed Jaguars pact.

Colts, Packers, Redskins Interested In Delanie Walker

The Titans’ starting tight end for seven seasons, Delanie Walker now resides in free agency. Two injury-plagued seasons led to his release. But a market has formed for the veteran target.

The Colts, Packers and Redskins have expressed interest in Walker, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Walker will turn 36 just before Week 1.

While Walker posted four straight 800-yard seasons from 2014-17, the 14-year veteran has played in just eight games since. The ankle injury he suffered in September 2018 held him back last season as well. This will certainly affect his market, but teams are nonetheless interested.

The NFL’s current landscape stacks the odds against free agents with injury concerns, however. Players are not allowed to visit teams’ facilities, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and may not be permitted to do so for the foreseeable future. This could leave Walker in limbo for the time being.

Washington features a major need at the position, having seen Vernon Davis retire and having cut Jordan Reed. Green Bay pursued Austin Hooper, but Cleveland won that derby early in the tampering period. Indianapolis opted against re-signing Eric Ebron but still has Jack Doyle under contract. Ebron remains unsigned and would stand to land a deal before Walker.

Titans Release Delanie Walker

Delanie Walker‘s lengthy Titans tenure will end after seven seasons. The team announced the release of its longtime tight end.

The 35-year-old target had battled injuries in recent seasons but wraps up his Tennessee stay with three Pro Bowls on his resume. Injuries limited Walker to just eight games over the past two seasons, however, and it’s fair to wonder if this will be it for the 14-year veteran. For what it’s worth, Walker said in December he planned to play a 15th season in 2020.

While Walker’s work decreased in recent years, he was one of the league’s premier tight ends for an extended stretch. After leaving his post as Vernon Davis‘ backup in San Francisco, Walker thrived after signing with Tennessee. From 2014-17, he posted four straight 800-plus-yard seasons.

Tennessee used Jonnu Smith as its primary receiving tight end last season and received some contributions from Anthony Firkser as well. They combined for more than 600 yards and look to be the players tasked with succeeding Walker going into the 2020s.

This move will create more than $6MM in cap space for the Titans, who opened $2MM earlier Friday by releasing Ryan Succop. Tennessee has not re-signed Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry or Jack Conklin. The Titans are running out of time but are now north of $66MM in cap space. Only a handful of teams possess more.