What does everyone see in Kevin Payne?

[BearSox]

Why does Kevin Payne consistently get a free pass on this board? He's far from our biggest problem, but I don't see what everyone else sees in Payne. He is a huge liability in pass coverage, and having him and Brown both out there is hurting our pass D big time, IMO.

 

Payne does play with a lot of heart and emotion though, and he is very solid in the run game. But we need some sort of rotation of safeties so we don't have to have two liabilities in pass coverage back there on passing downs. We need to either take out Brown or Payne and put someone with coverage skills in, but Manning sucks in coverage anyway and Steltz isn't much better, IMO.

 

I think safety is a bigger need in the offseason then people make it out to be.

[Connorbear]

We need to either take out Brown or Payne and put someone with coverage skills in, but Manning sucks in coverage anyway and Steltz isn't much better, IMO.

 

I think safety is a bigger need in the offseason then people make it out to be.

That's the problem. Brown cannot cover anymore because he has lost a step and Payne may never get there. They both have played very good in the box. We need a true free safety.

 

Peace

[clnr]

The biggest issue I have with Payne is that he can't tackle if his life depended on it! He can hit, but he doesn't put anyone down! Arm tackling doesn't get the work done!

[DABEARSDABOMB]

It's a huge problem. Payne and Brown are the same player, both are liabilities in pass coverage yet strong in the ground game. I'd personally move Vasher back to a safety position and let him kind of be a ball-hawk type of safety (yep, not Tillman because he's our best cover corner). The one weakness having Vasher back there would be his lack of tackling ability but with one of Brown/Payne as the other safeties I could live with Vasher because the pass coverage should significantly improve.

[nfoligno]

I don't think it is so much that Payne is getting a free pass, but more a matter of when looking at our defense, so much more was expected of so many others.

 

Heading into the season, there were many on this board who felt we had one of the best DLs in the league. Thus far, our DL looks flat out pathetic.

 

Heading into the season, we thought we had not only a great pair of CBs, but solid depth w/ Graham and McBride. But these guys have not shown an ability to cover even mediocre WRs w/ mediocre QBs throwing the rock.

 

Heading into the season, we thought we had the best LB trio in the game. Briggs has been solid, but not spectacular, IMHO, and Urlacher has (for the most part) been un-noticed.

 

Heading into the season, we thought we were in great shape w/ a healthy Mike Brown, but his play at FS prompted (IMHO) a move to SS for him. Maybe that wasn't the whole reason, but he was not doing much from the FS position.

 

So while I think most would agree Payne has not played well, at the same time, I think when you consider expectations, Payne was likely the lowest on the list, and thus not getting as much criticism.

 

Why does Kevin Payne consistently get a free pass on this board? He's far from our biggest problem, but I don't see what everyone else sees in Payne. He is a huge liability in pass coverage, and having him and Brown both out there is hurting our pass D big time, IMO.

 

Payne does play with a lot of heart and emotion though, and he is very solid in the run game. But we need some sort of rotation of safeties so we don't have to have two liabilities in pass coverage back there on passing downs. We need to either take out Brown or Payne and put someone with coverage skills in, but Manning sucks in coverage anyway and Steltz isn't much better, IMO.

 

I think safety is a bigger need in the offseason then people make it out to be.