The Washington Commanders finished with a 4-13 overall record a season ago and 0-6 in NFC East play. Washington’s horrendous season is what led to them moving on from Ron Rivera as head coach and making a change also in the front office.
The Commanders are looking to bounce back big time in 2024, but it is more about building the foundation for the future. Washington has a new sheriff in town led by head coach Dan Quinn. He was the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator for the past few seasons.
They also decided to hire Adam Peters as the new general manager. Peters was in the San Francisco 49ers front office with Jon Lynch. San Francisco is now one of the best teams in the NFL. This is what Adam Peters hopes he can build the Washington Commanders into.
Washington Commanders Defensive Lineman Daron Payne Predicted To Be “Bounce-Back Candidate” In 2024
The Commander’s defense did not live up to expectations last season. Because of it, they traded Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers and Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears. The defensive line will need to be much better this season and Daron Payne will need to perform.
Bradley Locker of Bleacher Report thinks that the Washington Commanders candidate to bounce back this season is Daron Payne. The reasoning he gave was as follows:
“Payne has established himself as one of the more solid interior defenders across the NFL, but his past season wasn’t his finest. He tallied 14 fewer pressures despite having 32 additional opportunities to rush the passer.
With Washington drafting Illinois’ Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round, new head coach Dan Quinn could turn to more of a rotation along the Commanders’ defensive line, which might reduce Payne’s pressure numbers even further. Then again, as Payne enters the second year of his $90 million extension, he’s unlikely to go anywhere. A more motivated Payne — who also happens to clean up his tackling — could return to being an amazing pass rusher in 2024.”
A season ago, he recorded 53 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four pass deflections. Daron Payne is 27 years old and will need to advantage of the play time he gets this season. If the Washington Commanders are not in contention by the NFL trade deadline, they could trade him.
Payne was the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft from Alabama. The Commanders will need to create pressure up front this season in order to win more football games.
