It's no secret that McKay has given some priority to players he has drafted/signed before when looking for new people to bring here in Atlanta. The list could have been much longer than it has been, but guys like Jamie Duncan, Joe Tafoya, and Austin King have been among some of the names signed since McKay took over.
Another name that is a good possibility of arriving in Atlanta at some point in the near future is Kenyatta Walker. Walker was rumored to be cut last year, and the thinking was that we would go after him them considering the question marks at OT. Walker has been one of McKay's more notorious "busts", but he's still a competent starter that I would say on his good days is a quality starter, and on his normal days is about as good as Ephraim Salam was. Which basically translates to "serviceable."
Walker is again
rumored to be cut this year, and it would of course be of little surprise if he winds up here in Atlanta. WAlker has experience playing both LT and RT, although RT is his natural position. But he could definitely come in and challenge Shaffer for a starting spot. Although it may take him some time to pick up on the scheme, if Shaffer begins to struggle a few weeks into the season, the team would have the option of plugging in Walker.
Walker is a free agent after this upcoming season, so even if he remains in Tampa Bay for 2005, he still becomes a possibility to join Atlanta in 2006, considering Shaffer's contract too expires.
Walker is not the type of player that will likely solve our issues at OT, but he's a talented player that is plagued by sloppiness. He is the athletic type of OT that Gibbs prefers, and with good coaching I think he could develop into a more consistent blocker.