Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. The Commanders secured their defensive deal upfront after signing defensive tackle Duran Payne to a four year deal. Payne total to season high eleven and a half sacks and sixty four tackles in his first Pro Bowl season. I sat down with former first round pick out of Alabama to get his reaction to staying in Washington, and of course we begin this show with nothing other than the big man,
Duran Payne finally getting this deal done. Duran, congratulations, thank you? When does this think it? Because I don't know that we were really anticipating or expecting this to be the result when they tagged you. I don't know. I thought I was talking to my agent. He was like, as it sucking yet I was like, nah, maybe I just think you when I actually see you. So, you know, when they tagged you, I think we kind of said, okay, this is just the circumstances that this offseason is going
to have for you. How did the conversations and when those come about to say, no, wait a second, were making sure that your future is right here and making you the second highest paid at your position. I mean the whole time, Coach Ron told me that they was gonna get the job done for me, that they might have to tag me, but they still was gonna do it. So I'm just happy that we was able to get it done quick and not can just think about football. Yeah, go out there, train hard and get ready to put
on another good season. I feel like it was kind of like the big elephant in the room all last season, especially as those sack numbers kind of kept adding up. How much of this has been on your mind throughout last year? I mean last year, I was really just focused on playing good ball, and everything just started playing playing to itself. So I just like, you know, I might as well just have fun making plays, and it
all just played up. Coach said that you set the example no, certainly with your play, but also that you stuck to your word. What was your word? I just told them. I know they didn't want to. I was kind of upset because they didn't want to do a contract and they didn't offer me, So I just told them that I showed them. I showed them why why I deserve to be here, and that's what I did.
How much of that actually impacted what you did on the field, then, I mean I just took it into the off season and users as motivation, like train hard and I know, like when I'm planning play harder. You first came in here fourteen and a half sacks to start out, and then all of a sudden, here you go this last year with eleven and a half setting the record since what try and Kerrigan did it back
in twenty nineteen. Um? What and when did things really change for you when it comes to being able to kind of like up the game and get to the quarterback. I mean, I think it really started in like that last bit of OTA's Like, I don't know, I just felt like I was gonna have a good year, Like I was moving good, felt good. Then when we got the training camp bills, like dang, I didn't do a whole bunch of things. So that's when it really started
to take off. You talk about finishing, So what was the difference in finishing getting the quarterback to the ground and not running faster? Nah, My first couple of years, I always used to like I used to get back there, but I might WHI on the tackle run past a quarterback. He might put a move on me. But this year, I was able to get him well, last year, I was able to get him in. Just capitalize one all my good stuff your coaches, Ryan Kerrigan joins the realm.
I'm quite familiar with him as his teammate. But then also Coachy. How much did they kind of help you this past year? A whole bunch, man. I always just look to Coachy. He always works with me every day
to work on like different moves and different techniques. And then I always got you know, Ryan, he's real quiet, So he might just be in the back of the room just smiling looking at him like, yeah, he's doing doing your thing, or he might just give me some tips on how to counter or do a little different things. But it's just good having a bit like Ryan in
the room. Eleven and a half sacks. The expectation now that of course you do have this long term deal, is that, okay, what's how do you follow that up to try to do it again and go back out here this offseason, train a little bit harder, come back in with the right mindset, and then and just try to go out there and make plays. If I talk to some of the coaches around here and they taught me about your game. They said, there's still another level to what you're capable of doing. I hope, So, I hope,
So I know, I know. I definitely don't feel like i've him my stri yet. I feel I got room to grow, room to improve a lot of things that I can work on this offseason to become a better player. I feel like that's why I like playing in the NFL, because it's like you're not always like you're not always done. You get another week to be better, and that's what I try to do every week to be better than I was this last year. You got to go to
the Pro Bowl for your play as well. When we were talking out there, you're commenting that you were the strongest player out there. Where do you think your game is in ranks amongst your position? I feel like I'm up there. I'm up there with the best of them. My flight can go to any NFL team and play with play with anybody. That's what it is. You're playing alongside John Allen as well, and of course you have
Chased and montesas they're on the outside. Um, what can you say about this D line and how important it was for them to try and keep you guys together. Me and Jay, we've been playing together so long and we just like I know, I was just looking at some highlight tapes. It's like he knows when I'm about to make a move and he'll work off me. And I know what kind of moves he liked to make. So it's like we've been we'd already put in so much work together. We already know each other. We can
just play fast off each other. And I know before every game he always telled me, let's go make all the players and then we ain't got to worry about nothing. So that's what we try to do. And the other guys months and chase them. Boys, they really special and like it's just a bunch of fun being able to
play with them. All right. I do not want to be a quarterback having to face you guys this upcoming season, knowing that especially the D line is solidified for quite a few years, and especially with John Allen going forward. How are we celebrating? Ooh, I haven't gotten that far yet. I feel like I'm the I'm gonna find something to do. I might say my family on vacation. Someone wish there you go. That's a good one. Share it with the family. Congratulations,
well observed. We're excited to keep you here in DC. Thanks. Thank A quick programming note. At the end of the month Command Center, we'll be leaving NBC Sports Washington, but don't worry. That does not mean the show is coming to an end. We will continue to deliver you fans the best content involving your favorite team. You can watch new episodes at Command Center each week on the team's website and YouTube channel.