Payton leaned back on an old coaching axiom for how he plans to coach Wilson and the team at large.
“I think the No. 1 job for us as coaches in evaluating our players is (determining): What do they do really well? And then, let’s try to put them in those positions,” he said. “At least that’s a starting point, and I think that’s important to highlight their strengths and also to minimize any weaknesses.”
Payton coached the Saints from 2006 to 2021. In that span, working mostly with QB Drew Brees, New Orleans ranked below 12th in either yards gained or points scored in only one of those seasons — 2021, the first season after Brees retired.
Wilson started 15 of the Broncos’ 17 games last season after being traded from the Seahawks, taking a career high in sacks (55) and registering career lows in TD passes (16) and completion percentage (60.5).
“Here’s what I know: (Wilson is) a hard worker,” Payton said. “I know he’s an extremely hard worker. That’s important. And I think you take that skillset, he’s won a lot of games in Seattle. … Then you go from there.”
Payton said he and the eager Wilson have spoken as have Brees and Wilson, who live close to each other in California. Payton even joked that Brees told him, “Russell is wearing me out” with phone calls and texts.
But when the subject turned to the special perks Wilson received upon arrival in Denver, such as reportedly having his own office in the facility and having his own personal performance team be allowed inside team headquarters, Payton’s answer turned serious and was telling — and perhaps a sign of things to come under his watch.
“That’s foreign to me,” Payton said, via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. “That’s not going to take place here. I’m not familiar with it, but our staff will be here, our players will be here and that’ll be it.”
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