Dan Quinn clearly prioritizes scheme familiarity during his first offseason as Commanders head coach. Players from his previous stops in Dallas and Seattle have surfaced in Washington. A previous Quinn Atlanta charge is now making its way to town.
Mykal Walker signed with the Commanders on Tuesday. Quinn and the former Falcons linebacker starter did not last long, as the organization fired Quinn early in the 2020 season. When Walker was picked in the fourth round of 2020, he was still in charge. Walker, who is now on team No. 5, has had a hectic eight months in terms of transactions.
Walker, who spent time with the Bears, Raiders, and Steelers after leaving Atlanta this summer, will join other recent Quinn charges in Washington. The Commanders have signed Bobby Wagner, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, and Noah Igbinoghene to play defense. They also recruited Tyler Biadasz, a former Cowboys center.
Walker will undoubtedly seek stability in Washington. Since mid-August, three teams have released the Quinn-era Falcons draftee. The Falcons waived Walker during training camp when they transitioned to then-DC Ryan Nielsen’s scheme. On cutdown day, the Bears filed a claim for him but did not add him to their 53-man roster. Walker was then assigned to the Raiders’ practice squad, but he was released a month later. Walker had to wait until repeated Steelers injuries presented him with another opportunity, but he did eventually see action in Pittsburgh.
Kwon Alexander and former Washington starter Cole Holcomb sustained season-ending injuries. This led the squad to give Walker five starts in the second half of the season. Walker, 26, appeared in eight games for Pittsburgh and started the team’s wild-card game at Buffalo. Walker recorded his fourth career interception last season. He has two interceptions and 107 tackles (four for loss) in a 2022 season that included 12 Falcons starts. Walker was ranked 55th among off-ball linebackers by Pro Football Focus in 2022 and finished outside the top 75 at the position during his 2023 half-season.
While Wagner is projected to start, Walker is seen as more of a gamble at this point. The Commanders still have former first-round pick Jamin Davis on their roster, and they will pair Wagner with hybrid ‘backer Frankie Luvu. Quinn will, however, give Walker a chance to fill in behind the regulars, it would appear.
