MIAMI — The Washington Commanders defense was a major letdown last season and whether you blame the coaching, players, scheme, or a combination of any of them, the end result contributed to the near complete replacement of the staff and many members of the roster.
Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was quite vocal during and near the end of the season and drew a lot of attention to how secure his future was with the team. His neighbor on the line, Daron Payne, took a quieter approach to dealing with the frustrating season, but the increase in his demeanor this preseason is a clear sign of both relief and excitement for what may be on the horizon.
After Washington got after the Miami Dolphins first-team offense in joint practice on Thursday Payne met with the media and expressed just how well he feels things are going under defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.
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“I feel like just the new scheme, we’ve been working so hard to get the new scheme and we (have come) a long way from when we first came into OTAs,” Payne said with a visible smile on his face. “And I think we (are) going to be a good…
