Raiders' Walter waiting for chance to play

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Aug 1, 2008 | by Steve Corkran

NAPA -- There was a time when Andrew Walter was the Raiders' quarterback of the future. It seemed as if that time arrived early in the 2006 season after an injury to starter Aaron Brooks.

Had he seized the opportunity, Walter would be entering his second season as the unquestioned starter and JaMarcus Russell would be wearing another team's jersey.

Instead, Walter is competing for the primary backup spot and biding his time until he gets the chance to show people that the Walter they watched in 2006 is not the one that they will see directing an offense one day.

"I'm not satisfied just being a backup," Walter said between training camp practices Thursday. "That's not something I'm thrilled about, but that is the role and I have to embrace it."

The Raiders selected Walter in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft and earmarked him as the successor to veteran Kerry Collins. He certainly had the size, stature and credentials to warrant such expectations.

Walter, 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, set the Pac-10 record for career touchdowns during a distinguished run at Arizona State and bore the look of a classic drop-back quarterback.

Then, along came coach Art Shell and offensive coordinator Tom Walsh in 2006 and an antiquated offense that relied upon seven-step drops despite a porous offensive line and a lack of safety-valve options for a quarterback under duress.

Duress might not be a strong enough word. Time and again, Walter found himself surrounded by a horde of defenders before he had time to scour the landscape.

The results were predictable and tough on the eyes of those watching through silver-and-black-colored glasses.

Walter, 26, was sacked 46 times, harassed countless others and, ultimately, replaced by Brooks late in the season.

"I wouldn't say it shook my confidence," Walter said. "I would say it was a fiasco and I would say it was as clueless of a staff as I've ever heard. "... It was a complete joke.

"So, that was a hard situation. To be a quarterback who has never played, in that situation, certainly was difficult. I've said many times, to come out the other end of that and still survive, I can't name another guy in the NFL who has been through that type of situation at the quarterback position. I can't name one."

Last year brought about another set of trying circumstances for Walter. He entered training camp in a competition with Josh McCown and Daunte Culpepper for the starting job, with Russell nowhere to be seen because of drawn-out contract negotiations.

Late in the process, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin eliminated Walter from consideration, even though Walter possessed the superior statistics in exhibition games. Kiffin later said he expected Walter to be released early in the season.

"Obviously, it didn't matter," Walter said. "So that's disconcerting when you're in a situation when it's open competition and it doesn't matter. You take everything with a grain of salt."

Walter spent most of the season with his bags packed, awaiting word on his next employer. That call never came, presumably because managing general partner Al Davis isn't keen on giving up on Walter just yet.

Through it all, Walter has found peace in his NFL journey. He has two years left on his Raiders contract and knows that quarterbacks such as Rich Gannon and Kurt Warner didn't flourish until later in their careers.

Kiffin said he has noticed the change in Walter. The bad body language has disappeared. Walter is playing well. He knows his role.

"He has responded to a lot of adversity "... ," Kiffin said. "It was a long year for him. It was a year where, at a couple of points, he was hoping to be traded. That didn't happen, obviously.

"He came back and had a good offseason. It's just been one thing after another. He played a little bit, then another guy comes in, then we draft JaMarcus, then we sign Daunte, so he's had a lot of stuff to go through. It has made him stronger."

Kiffin also said that Walter has the potential to be a productive player.

"If you can protect him, he can be a really good quarterback in this league," Kiffin said, "because he can throw the ball extremely well."

Notes: Defensive tackle Terdell Sands had fluid drained from a knee and missed practice. He will be limited to one practice per day upon his return. Defensive tackle Gerard Warren (thigh) and wide receiver Arman Shields (knee) were among five who missed practice. "... Russell (elbow) made it through practice without any difficulty. Kiffin said: "We had it checked by a number of people, and nobody sees it being a long-term issue."

Contact Steve Corkran at scorkran@bayareanewsgroup.com