Free-Agents-To-Be in 2023: Big Year, Big Decisions – Daron Payne
May 18, 2022
By Paul Francis
As of the writing of this column, according to Spotrac, the Washington Commanders have 22 players slated to be free agents after the upcoming season. This means 2022 is the prove-it year both for those individual players and for the team, whether it’s the player proving themselves worthy of a rich extension or the team proving itself capable of re-signing its own top talent. I’m in the midst of a mini-series profiling a few of the key free-agents-to-be and how they fit into the Commanders’ future plans, if at all.
This week, we spotlight one of yours and mine’s favorite discussion points: Daron Payne
Player
Defensive tackle Daron Payne was drafted 13th overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2018 Draft. Having featured prominently for the Alabama Crimson Tide’s national championship team, he came into the NFL draft with high expectations. NFL Next Gen Stats projected him to be a Pro Bowl talent. Boasting strength, athleticism, technical acumen, and a high work rate, scouts strained to find a weakness in his game. Reuniting with college teammate Jonathan Allen to secure the middle of Washington’s defensive line raised expectations for him and the team’s defense. Payne will play on a 5th year option this season, but beyond that the future for Daron Payne is most certainly elsewhere.
Production
In 4 seasons, Payne has averaged 57 tackles, while compiling 14.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 22 tackles for loss and 35 quarterback hits. Though Payne has had a solid career so far, he’s not yet reached that Pro Bowl level that was predicted for him. The 2021 season was a perfect example of the mixed reviews of Payne’s play. He had career highs in quarterback knockdowns, pressures, hurries and hits. Yet, he also had career highs in missed tackles and missed tackle percentage. Pro Football Focus rated him as merely the 53rd ranked interior defensive lineman this past season, and you’d be hard-pressed to find Daron Payne at the top of any other advanced metric charts for defensive tackle play.
That’s not to say that Payne has been a complete disappointment or has not been a key contributor to the Washington defense. The defensive line has to play as a unit and success is often gauged collectively. Payne has often been deployed as the “dirty work” tackle to occupy double teams and stuff the run, so that teammates can get into the backfield and disrupt plays. If the quality of Daron Payne’s selfless tasks on the defensive line can be gauged by the success of his teammates, then he’s been successful indeed. In 2020, Payne’s teammates on the defensive line had stellar seasons. And though the 2021 campaigns of Chase Young and Montez Sweat were limited due to injury, Payne’s running mate, Allen, made the Pro Bowl. Washington likes to rotate its defensive tackles, but Payne had the lion’s share of snaps, logging one of the highest workloads among defensive tackles last season in the NFL. He played 837 snaps; by comparison Jonathan Allen played 772.
Payne’s contributions are certainly not lost on his teammates. At the end of the 2021 season, Allen had high praise for his under-appreciated teammate. “I feel like when you have as much talent as we do, no one’s ever going to get as much credit as they deserve at any given time. What (Payne) can do is pretty self-explanatory when you watch the film. He’s explosive. He’s a big guy who’s really fast, dominating the run, effective in the pass-rush game. I mean, he can do it all.” If a guy that once threw a punch at you on the sideline can also offer such high praise, then you must be doing something right.
Potential Future? Not Really
The Washington Commanders appreciated Payne’s contributions enough to pick up his 5th year option, where he’ll earn about $8.5 million in 2022. But after that, all signs point to the team moving on from Daron Payne. Fans have been wondering aloud for the past couple seasons how Washington plans to manage the long-term future of a defensive line with 4 first-round picks once those rookie contracts begin to expire. While Allen was signed to a rich extension last offseason and became one of the faces of the franchise, Payne’s fortunes with the team appear to be headed in the opposite direction.
Shortly before the draft, Ben Standig of the Athletic reported that the Washington front office had been quietly signaling to other teams that Payne was available for a trade. The draft came and went with no movement on Payne. However, with the selection of defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis in the 2nd round, coupled with the absence of any extension talks, it would seem the team is fully prepared to move on and let Payne become a free agent in 2023. Of course, anything can happen. Maybe Payne has an All-Pro season, gets the franchise tag, and we do all this again next year. We just looove those scenarios here in Washington, don’t we?
Conclusion
It was fun while it lasted. This season Washington fans will get one last chance to see the legendary vaunted “Four-First-Round-Pick-defensive line” in action. What was once considered the bedrock for building a dominant defensive team identity for years to come, will instead have a farewell tour. Daron Payne will have plenty to play for, since 2022 will basically be his free-agent audition. So, I’m looking forward to a good year, and Daron Payne and this defensive line will be a fun “remember-when” discussion for fans in the years to come.