Tag: DT Daron Payne

Commanders Johnny Newton says Jonathan Allen is ‘like a big brother’ to him

Jonathan Allen has been helping Johnny Newton.

Johnny Newton is back on the field.

The rookie defensive tackle drafted 36th overall by the Commanders met with the media Tuesday, expressing he is happy to be active again, following his foot surgery this Spring.

“They’ve been giving me great support—everybody in the locker room, everybody in the building, really. So, just to get out there and compete, it felt really good to get off.”

Choosing to have the surgery right away, Newton said he really didn’t have a long-term goal. Rather, he just tried to do the right recovery things day by day.

Newton was surprised when the X-rays revealed the problem, seeing he insists he never had discomfort in that foot. Having been through this already with one foot, he felt like he knew what to expect in the rehab, so he just got to it.

“Great training staff in there, great coaching staff. Everybody always came to check on me, definitely right after I had surgery. So it was comfortable for me and I knew what my goal was and what I had to do to get back, so I just did exactly that.”

Being drafted to a team that starts Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne at your position might bother many rookies, but not Newton.

“I’ve been watching them for years now. Back when they were in college at Alabama I used to watch them, but actually getting to know them, great people outside of the football field. They’re honestly like big brothers. Whenever I mess up with something, they’ll tell me. Just the smallest things on the field, they always help me out, always encouraging me.”

When asked how long it would take the former Illinois tackle to regain his quickness, Newton responded, “Rome wasn’t built overnight, so I’m not expecting to get back to 100 percent on the first day of practice. I’m just getting my feet. Honestly, this is my first NFL practice, getting up to speed, and hopefully, eventually, for sure soon, I’ll be back to 100 percent and back to my old self.”

Newton didn’t like missing minicamp but is thankful for the support he received. He expressed it was hard on him to miss, but “everybody in the building was always encouraging me.

“Jon’s my locker mate, so always talking to Jon, he’s like, ‘Bro, you’re going to be alright.’ He is like, ‘I can’t wait for you to get on the field.’ And just hearing that from Jon was great encouragement to me because I look up to Jon. He is like a big brother to me.. and, DQ (Dan Quinn), AP (Adam Peters) always came to check up on me, and that meant the most to me. So, I knew what I had to do, and that always gave me an extra boost.”

Daron Payne says Commanders defense is hunting

Daron Payne couldn’t be more excited about the new defensive style/scheme.

Working in his seventh NFL training camp, Daron Payne really likes the up-tempo defense Dan Quinn is instructing.

“We are really working on just flying around and getting to the ball, hunting. That’s the main emphasis right now, just you want everybody hunting,” Payne told the media Sunday, following practice.

Payne has been very dependable for Washington, missing games only during the 2019 season due to injury. He missed seven that season and has played in every other single game for the Commanders.

“Coach Quinn is just letting us be explosive. Be explosive guys! Get after the quarterback, get after the run games.”

The former Alabama defensive tackle likes how Quinn is not allowing the defense to be as predictable as it was last year. “It definitely gives the offense something different to see. They won’t be able to scheme us up and just focus on what we do.” Payne said he likes the design calling for more games and movement from the defensive line.

Evidently, the defensive linemen are being called upon to do a lot of running early in this camp. “I usually stay around here and train (offseason), train hard. But like I said, with the new defense we have, they want us hunting so we got to be around the ball. They want us flying, so I feel like that’s just getting me in shape already.”

Payne, after six seasons has recorded 30.0 sacks and he likes what new defensive line coach Darryl Tapp is drilling in camp. “We just don’t come out here and just do things to waste time. He thinks about it and preps ahead and does things to get us in good shape and have good technique.”

There is a huge roster turnover this season and Payne pointed out Sunday he thinks the defensive players are already listening to the lead of linebacker Bobby Wagner. “He commands the huddle and we listen to him.”

The DMV is hoping the new personnel and new coaching staff results in at least a few more wins in 2024.

Rookie DT Johnny Newton: To be with Commanders is like a dream come true

The rookie defensive tackle has long admired new teammates Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton is living his dream.

Bryan Colbert Jr. hosted another episode of “Raising Hail with the Rookies,” and Newton was his guest.

Newton was chosen No. 36 overall by the Commanders in April’s NFL draft. The former Illinois defensive tackle had been expected by nearly every analyst to be chosen in the first round. However, he fell to the Commanders at the fourth selection of round two.

“Kids dream about this. I still feel like a kid, you know,” began Newton. Arriving for his rookie minicamp and seeing guys with their uniforms, Newton said to himself, “It’s actually real. I’ve been playing football since I was five. So to be here is actually like a dream come true.”

How about on draft night, when Commanders GM Adam Peters called Newton? “I was trying to keep my composure…I was projected for Day One, so I was waiting for that call. I didn’t get upset about it, but it gave me that chip on my shoulder.”

Newton says that when he hung up with Peters, he told his family that he was going to be chosen by the Commanders, hugged his mom, and instantly broke down crying.

The rookie defensive tackle credits both his parents for being supportive of him in his football and basketball growing up. He talked of how he has no hard feelings about not being drafted in the first round, and he understands it is a business. “But I know there wasn’t 32 people better than me. But there is a plan for everything; it was already written. Now I just got to execute it and play to my God-given ability.”

When he was in middle school and began playing defensive line, he remembers Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, both at Alabama. He also recalls Dante Fowler playing for the Florida Gators. Now, Johnny has become their teammate.

Chris Cooley’s film review of Commanders’ DT Johnny Newton

What does Cooley think of Johnny Newton’s film? He likes him.

Chris Cooley praised the Commanders’ selection of Johnny Newton, but also offered a few concerns.

The former Washington tight end, who appeared on Thursday’s “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast, expressed his film observations of Newton.

Not to be overlooked, Sheehan proposed that other teams possibly knew of Newton’s injury and that the Commanders did not. Newton fell into the second round, and Commanders GM Adam Peters was in disbelief Newton was still available at No. 36, where Peters selected him.

Here are a few selected quotes from Cooley’s review:

“He is a consistently productive guy,” Cooley said. “Four blocked kicks at Illinois. I love a dude that can block kicks! There is a knack to it.”

“He is a compact 6’2″, 304 pounds…He is not thin.”

“First team All-American. He wrecked Maryland; he wrecked Wisconsin. He can wreck a game. There is no doubt about it; he can play in the backfield.”

“He will come off the ball, quick twitch, and he can transition from speed to power. He can play inside; he can play nose. Quick hands, quick feet. When you are playing against Johnny Newton on the other side of the ball, you are worried he is going to beat you right now.”

“His hand-fighting is excellent. He will battle through that and get off of stuff.”

“I think when he wants to, he can crash back-side run plays really well.”

“He has great pass-rush moves; his high end is really high end.”

“I think the number one negative I see is he picks and chooses. There are times you can write L-A-Z-Y…It’s not that he can’t run down the line of scrimmage. It’s not that he can’t chase the ball carrier. It’s not that he doesn’t do that. He just picks and chooses.”

“He’s a guy you want to make sure is always going; you got to make sure he is always rolling or have him out.”

“His pad level is not very good. He plays upright; he plays high.”

“He plays around blocks as well, which you can’t get away with in the NFL.”

“Honestly, I think he is a great pick. He is going to be around a couple of defensive tackles (Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne) who will not accept anything but “go” all the time. I think it will be a really good fit for him.”

“There are a couple of concerns, but so much positive to him, so much upside to him.”

Why did Commanders’ GM Adam Peters select Johnny Newton?

Jason Peters explained why Johnny Newton was the right pick.

Thursday night’s first round of the NFL draft had just concluded, and the Commanders were a bit surprised.

Washington Commanders new general manager Adam Peters sat down with the Commanders Brian Koba Jr to discuss his leading his initial Washington Commanders draft last week.

Illinois defensive tackle and Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year Johnny Newton had been mocked by most analysts for going somewhere in the 20s in the first round. Yet Newton had not been selected in the first round.

“We were ecstatic,” opened Peters. “After Thursday night, you look at your board, and Johnny was really an outlier on our board. We were looking at each other, and we talked about it Thursday night and again Friday morning.”

“We got a ton of calls Friday from teams wanting to trade up (to No. 36). In the end, we said, if Johnny’s there, we got to take him, even though maybe that wasn’t the biggest position of need. He was clearly the highest player on our board. He’s a game wrecker. He fits what we do perfectly, and he fits everything that a commander is really.”

Peters liked that Newton is tough, smart, and violent, a team captain, and everything the Commanders wanted. “So, we were happy to pull the trigger on that one.”

The former UCLA Bruin defensive end spoke of how his current defensive tackle starters, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, are both great examples for Newton to follow. “The way they work, the way they go about their business, anytime you can have that situation, it’s awesome.”

According to Peters, head coach Dan Quinn already has a vision of attempting to have all three (Allen, Payne and Newton) on the field at the same time. “It’s not like he is going to be a backup and not playing a whole lot. He’s going to get on the field, he’s going to play. We’re going to rotate those guys, keep those guys fresh, so they can get after it, too.”

Adam Peters said the Commanders have a ‘few cornerstone pieces.’ Who are they?

Adam Peters said the Commanders had a few cornerstone players. Who are they?

“I believe there’s a few cornerstone pieces in this roster. I believe we have a lot of work to do.”

That is how new Commanders GM Adam Peters replied when asked what he thought of the current roster.

So, who does Peters feel are the “few cornerstone pieces”?

On offense, it would have been great if Sam Howell had developed enough this past season, but that did not occur, as Howell led the NFL in sacks taken and interceptions thrown.

Brian Robinson accumulated 733 rushing yards and 368 receiving yards totaling 1,101 yards from scrimmage. But Robinson is a running back. So Peters may not feel it necessary to pay Robinson a second contract, but we can cross that bridge in a couple of seasons.

Much was made of Terry McLaurin accomplishing a fourth consecutive season of 1,000 yards receiving. Frankly, wasn’t too much made of this? In today’s NFL, the rules and officiating favor the offense much more than the defense. Thus, there is more passing in today’s game. In addition, the NFL regular season is now 17 games. He is a fine, hardworking player and is a team leader. Yet, one would be hard-pressed to persuade us that McLaurin is an elite receiver. But his contract may keep other teams from trading for him. Is he really worth his $24.1 million cap hit in 2024?

This leaves the only real offensive cornerstone piece upon which the Commanders must build around, and that is right guard Sam Cosmi. Cosmi’s 2024 cap hit will only be $2,108,135. His last contract year is 2024, so Peters will want to re-sign Cosmi to that second contract.

Defensively, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne have been sturdy and energetic inside forces, but that did fall off some this past season. Allen and Payne will have cap hits of $23 million and $26.17 million in 2025. Allen and Payne were drafted in the first round by Washington in 2017 and 2018, respectively. If Peters wants to receive the highest possible value back in a trade, he may want to trade one or both this offseason.

A few young players who have shown a toughness that Peters may keep around include safeties Darrick Forrest and Kam Curl. Curl is a free agent, however, and may want to hit the open market. A third is Quan Martin, a second-round choice who flashed at times in the later games of the season.

Three other players on the offense could be nice developmental pieces. Chris Rodriguez Jr. exhibited a real toughness on special teams and in running the ball. Jahan Dotson has had his moments where he looks like he really belongs. Another is Curtis Samuel. However, Samuel is a free agent, and Peters may not want to give him a third contract.

Armani Rogers, the most athletic of the tight ends, missed this entire season with a torn Achilles tendon. But he is an athlete Peters will want to keep, as he most likely does not bring back Logan Thomas.

Peters was absolutely correct. He has a lot of work to do.

 

 

Jonathan Allen: ‘I’m tired of trying to build character’

Fans are tired of hearing about character and culture, too.

As you’d expect, the Washington Commanders’ locker room was somber after Sunday’s 45-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins. It wasn’t just another loss, but Washington’s third consecutive by double digits, including allowing 45 points in each of the last two games.

Defensive tackle and team captain Jonathan Allen is always available after games — win or lose. Allen is usually calm but has been known to let his emotions get the best of him.

After the Commanders’ latest loss, Allen was direct in his feelings about the 4-9 Commanders.

“I’ve been dealing with this for seven years; I’m tired of trying to build character,” Allen said when asked if playing through adversity is a good way to judge Washington’s character. “My character is built well enough. I’m trying to win.”

Allen is always a good quote. Some fans have been frustrated with his play this season, too. None of Washington’s frontline players have played well this season, including Allen, Daron Payne and Terry McLaurin.

But his quote about character will resonate with Washington fans. Four years into Ron Rivera’s regime, fans are tired of hearing about character and culture. Where has that gotten this franchise? They are last in the NFC East again. Washington has received next to nothing from its draft or free-agent class. The Commanders are either mediocre or flat-out bad. They’re never good.

Allen is not a player who will throw coaches under the bus. He comes from Alabama, and those players have a different mindset. But his frustrations with the team right now are evident. He knows changes are coming—significant changes. However, that doesn’t help Washington right now as it limps to the finish line in another lost season.

When they last met: Commanders and Giants

The last meeting was one to forget for Washington.

“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

New York 14, Washington 7 – Week 7, Oct. 22, 2023

Sam Howell’s 4th down pass to Jahan Dotson was incomplete at the one-yard line, and Washington fell 14-7 to the New York Giants at Met Life Stadium.

Leading 14-7 the Giants at the Washington 10 were about to go up two scores, securing the win. However, Daron Payne stripped Saquon Barkley and recovered the fumble, stopping the Giants scoring drive with 7:51 remaining.

Chris Rodriguez had runs of 8 and 9 yards, and Howell completed nine passes on the drive, setting the stage for the 4th and 5 play from the Giants 7. Howell’s pass to Dotson at the one-yard line was slightly behind Dotson, who was able to get both hands on the pass but did not make the catch, ending the Commanders’ drive.

The offense, for most of the game, was anemic, impotent, and absolutely ineffective. The Commanders fell behind 14-0, putting together drives that ended punt, punt, punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, punt, punt.

The offense was so weak that their only score came when Dyami Brown recovered a third-quarter muffed Tress Way punt at the Giants 21-yard line.

With 10:21 remaining in the third quarter, Brian Robinson scored from four yards, allowing the Commanders to avoid being shut out.

However, the Commanders next two possession managed to produce only 29 yards and two punts.

Suddenly, on their next-to-last possession, the Commanders finally manufactured a scoring drive, moving 81 yards in eight plays. Yet, Joey Slye’s chip shot 27-yard field goal was blocked by Leonard Williams.

Losing to the Giants and losing in the manner they did infuriated defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Allen blew a fuse in the locker room immediately following the game.

Del Rio defends Commanders tackles Allen and Payne

Del Rio makes it clear: Allen and Payne are playing well.

Jack Del Rio took exception Thursday to two of his players being called out publicly this week.

ESPN’s Seth Walder this week had tweeted, stating that Commanders defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are producing less pass rush in 2023 than in 2022.

Walder revealed some numbers to back his claim. Allen had ranked 9th and Payne 12th in 2022 in “pass rush win rate.”

He then conveyed that through ten games this season, Allen is now 26th and Payne 42nd out of 52 qualifying defensive tackles.

Consequently, when Del Rio was asked about this by the Washington media Thursday, he responded, “I don’t like to sit up here and grade for you guys. They’re two really good players, and they’re playing well.”

Then Del Rio was challenged when one asked where Allen and Payne were making their impact, despite their pass rush win rate” being down from last season.

Del Rio threw out his own challenge, “I’ll watch tape with you if you’d like. They’re pretty good players, and they’re having a good strong year for us.”

Later, Del Rio was asked about how defensive tackle John Ridgeway has played. “Ridge? I think Ridge has played very well the last few weeks in particular.”

Then came a question regarding rookie defensive end Andre Jones Jr. and his pass rush.

“He’s been very aware and has done a nice job with it. I’m looking forward to watching these guys play, and (DE) KJ (Henry) was so close to getting his first sack two weeks ago. As they get opportunities to play, they’re going to make plays, and it’s not all going to be good. But we ask them to go out and apply their technique, play hard, compete their butts off, and help us get the ball back for the offense.”

Back to Andre Jones, “I just think he’s worked hard all year. That’s the one thing I would say about him. He’s been very consistent in how he’s approached things. His role had become primarily a lot on special teams and a little on D, and that equation’s going to change a little bit. He is going to get a little more on D and probably a little less on special teams, but I like the way he’s working at it. He’s done a good job being conscientious, coming in and putting in the work every day.”

Commanders Del Rio knows his unit can reduce the big plays

Jack Del Rio talks the importance of eliminating the big plays.

Jack Del Rio saw a good effort against the Patriots Sunday; then suddenly, the Commanders gave up two big plays.

“I thought we did a good job defensively last week. We had two plays that got away from us. One in the pass, one in the run. And other than that, we played real, real well.”

Indeed, the Commanders defense limited the Patriots on the way to a 20-17 victory. The two big plays?

Washington led 10-7, and the Patriots, from their own 16, had a 1st & 10. Lining up three eligible receivers tightly on the right side, Mac Jones faked a handoff and then found JuJu Smith-Schuster running across the field from tight right to the left side wide open. Smith-Schuster made the catch at the 23 and was pushed out of bounds on the 36, a 20-yard gain.

On the very next play, Washington ran a stunt, and linebacker Jamin Davis did not plug the closest gap to the right of tackle Daron Payne. New England’s Rhamondre Stevenson exploded through the hole into the secondary. He was met by safety Percy Butler, but he missed the tackle on Stevenson, who then raced 64 yards for a go-ahead Pats touchdown.

In two plays, the Commanders defense had surrendered 84 yards and a touchdown.

So, when defensive coordinator Del Rio was asked Thursday what is keeping this unit from rating as highly as the defensive unit last season in 2022.

“Yeah, explosive plays allowed. That’s been the big problem. We’re playing solid in a lot of areas, but the explosive plays allowed. Many of them kind of gift-type situations are the ones that keep us from ranking well and being able to beat our chest and say, look at our rank right here, which doesn’t mean a whole lot. I think what really means the most is give your football team a chance to win, play complementary football, and make sure we’re getting the ball back for our offense as often as possible.”

One player who was giving up some explosive plays prior to last week was rookie corner Emmanuel Forbes, Jr.  However, last week, Forbes played well enough that PFF graded Forbes as the highest Commanders defensive player last week. The performance pleased Del Rio.

“I think he’s just working at it. You know, he’s a good young player. We believe in him. He’s just gotta grind and work. That’s what he has done, and that allowed him to get himself back in the game, and then he played well.”