Payton Turner opens up about this year and what he wants to accomplish for the Saints.
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00:00 >> Yeah.
00:01 >> Good to go.
00:02 >> How big is this year for you?
00:04 >> I mean, it's no secret it's a big year for me.
00:06 Big year for us, but especially for me and my situation.
00:10 Just the past two years haven't been what I expect them to be or
00:14 the far I've expected them to be, just injuries and stuff.
00:16 So it's a big year for me.
00:17 >> How frustrated have you been the last two years?
00:20 >> Really frustrating.
00:20 I feel like I get something going and I feel like I got a good stretch.
00:25 Coming off that shoulder didn't really have an off season last year.
00:28 Finally got going a little bit in that midseason and
00:30 got my ankle crushed that Rams game.
00:32 So it's tough, but it's part of the game and
00:35 just trying to do everything I can to stay healthy this year.
00:38 And I think I'll get better.
00:39 >> How do you shake those off?
00:40 Cuz some guys will say, you know what, I just don't even think about it.
00:43 I don't even wanna reflect on that.
00:45 >> I think you gotta think about it.
00:47 I went this off season, I did a lot of prehab stuff to try to avoid anything.
00:52 Some stuff's not in your control, but everything that is in your control,
00:55 you gotta be able to put that in your back pocket and say you did everything to put
00:59 yourself in the best position, so I think I did that.
01:02 >> Just three, go ahead.
01:03 >> I'm not, so coming in, how do you feel?
01:05 How do you feel about your game, your physical stature, everything?
01:09 >> I feel great.
01:09 I haven't felt this good playing football in a long time.
01:12 So I'm coming in healthy, I feel great.
01:14 I feel like I've put myself in a position to be successful this year, so
01:17 I'm excited.
01:18 >> Hey, do you view yourself as an every down defensive end?
01:21 Cuz say like out there, if you're getting a lot of penetration,
01:24 it would have been, no, you don't have the pads on, but
01:27 tackle for a loss and being dominant.
01:29 Is that, you wanna get the sacks, but also being disruptive,
01:32 those tackles for a loss can come up big.
01:34 >> Yeah, that's the goal.
01:36 Negative players are always positives, right?
01:37 So the goal is to be out there every now.
01:40 >> Have you ever felt like you've had momentum in your career?
01:44 Is it just been kinda start, stop, start, stop, start, stop?
01:47 >> In NFL?
01:48 >> Yeah, just with the injuries and the- >> Yeah, I feel like my rookie year,
01:52 I felt confident, even coming into camp, once we got the pads on,
01:56 those first games when I came back, Carolina, and then, but yeah,
02:01 there's a little start and stop there.
02:02 As soon as Carolina's over, you don't have elbow, and then just stuff stacking up.
02:07 So I feel like I got some momentum last year in a little four or
02:10 five game stretch with the, once we got going after the first couple games.
02:16 But it has been a struggle, and
02:19 that's something I'm working on to be consistent and keep going.
02:23 >> When you say you're trying to set yourself up for success,
02:25 can you just help us understand, when you envision success,
02:28 what that looks like for you?
02:31 >> Yeah, first thing is being on the field, right?
02:33 So that's something I struggled with.
02:35 But like I said, I think I've done a lot this past off season,
02:37 just seeing specialists, seeing doctors, seeing body work people.
02:41 Whatever it may be, chiros, body doctors, whatever it may be,
02:47 just put myself in the best position.
02:49 So first, first is being available, and
02:51 then second is going out there and just being productive.
02:53 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> What's up?
02:57 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> Yeah, nah,
02:59 it's always good having them out there.
03:01 It's fun, fun environment.
03:03 Not like Superdome, though, but it's fun.
03:05 >> Are there some guys on the team that you lean on when you're going through
03:08 the roadblocks and the first two games?
03:11 >> Yeah, I mean, I'm still one of the youngest dudes in the room.
03:15 So having those older dudes in there, Marcus, Cam,
03:20 just guys that have been through it.
03:22 He's in Atlanta now, but just being able to talk to other guys that have been
03:26 through stuff in their career, whether it's injuries, whether it's coaching,
03:30 whatever it may be, it's always nice to fall back on them for questions,
03:33 guide them through it, maybe.
03:34 >> Is there a personal goal or
03:35 expectation that you set for yourself coming into this year?
03:38 >> I think everybody's goal is to go to the Super Bowl, right?
03:45 Win the Super Bowl.
03:47 Me personally, I think that starts with my availability, so
03:50 me being out there, being healthy.
03:52 And then from there, I mean, Isn't it Pro Bowl, if you ask everybody?
03:59 So that's kind of where I'm set.
04:00 >> Cam seems to believe he sees a dominant player in you.
04:03 Do you see that in you?
04:04 >> I feel I can be that person.
04:06 I feel I can be that player.
04:06 I feel like I have been that player in my career as a football player, and
04:09 I just wanna get back to it.
04:11 >> Do you have a number to take for
04:12 productive performance, so can you get more specific about what productive means?
04:17 >> Sacks, TFLs, batted passes, pressures, the whole nine yards.
04:22 So I'm not gonna talk specific numbers.
04:25 It's gonna come with the productivity.
04:28 You may have ten sacks with 12 pressures, or
04:32 you might have one sack with 40 pressures.
04:34 So it's tough to get into the numbers, but I just wanna get productive.
04:37 >> You're right, I mean, the numbers.
04:38 I mean, if Dan Jordan had a lot of sacks,
04:39 that might be because of what you're doing and vice versa.
04:42 >> Yeah, I mean, it's a team game.
04:43 It's the ultimate team game.
04:44 So just all of us going out there, putting our best foot forward,
04:46 being available, I think it's gonna come with it.
04:50 >> You guys got a bunch of new players on the interior.
04:52 How much does it help in a head rusher when you have those guys in the middle
04:55 getting outpushed consistently?
04:56 >> It's nice.
04:57 You can work speed rushes.
04:58 You don't have to just go straight.
05:00 I mean, we're big ends, so we have that power rush in our back pocket all the time.
05:03 But it's nice to work something else.
05:05 It's nice to show the tackle something else and race to get on that edge.
05:09 So it's nice.
05:10 I think we all got the speed to get there.
05:12 >> When you can show everything, does that help you guys too?
05:13 Like just set stuff up?
05:14 >> It opens the game up.
05:16 From pass rush games to one on one rushes, I think,
05:20 just makes everything available.
05:21 >> How much are you looking forward to the pads on Wednesday?
05:24 >> I'm excited.
05:25 I'm excited to see what we got.
05:25 First day of pads, everybody's gonna be flying around.
05:29 But it's gonna be good.
05:31 I'm excited to get back to the pads.
05:33 >> Your thoughts on Chris Lee?
05:36 >> Dude's quick.
05:37 Dude's quick.
05:38 He's good size too.
05:39 So he's not like a little small three tech.
05:41 He's a pretty good size.
05:43 Young, I think in the run game, I think everybody needs to work,
05:47 especially when they come to this league, just on technique and being more precise.
05:51 But he's disruptive, so I'm excited to see him in pads too.
05:54 >> You guys mentioned the last couple days that they've had some guys from
05:57 practice, looking at the schedule and
06:00 they'll play 13, 14 indoor games.
06:03 Some people might say, why not just practice in the indoors?
06:05 Is there something to be said about practicing outside and
06:08 working in the gym instead of just coming in here?
06:10 >> Tough team.
06:12 Tough team. You can go hot in the indoor and the AC, but
06:14 what about those games that you're going outside?
06:16 I mean, not everybody can go out there and do that, right?
06:18 Not everybody goes out there and runs after practice.
06:21 The A-Hop's in there, right?
06:22 So I mean, it's just the message, just being tough, and
06:26 not only physically but mentally.
06:27 So going out there and knowing that you have to go get in that heat,
06:29 that 100% humidity, 100% heat, whatever it may be.
06:33 It's just, I mean, it's good for you.
06:35 Good for the team.
06:35 >> Is there anything significant that you feel has changed about you
06:40 since you entered the league?
06:42 Or has it been more of just kind of a steady build to where you are now?
06:44 I mean, would you be able to cite things about your body or your approach?
06:47 >> I mean, I think you take pieces from everything.
06:48 Like I said, you can't just forget about the injuries.
06:51 That's part of my career.
06:52 That's part of my past.
06:53 So taking that and being like, how can I make sure that my ankle's gonna be good
06:57 this year, even if it's not my fault?
06:59 How can I have a straight and how can I work on the mobility?
07:01 So just taking pieces from that and then making a routine.
07:03 I feel like I'm in a really good routine right now.
07:05 So just building and stacking those up until you get right to where you wanna be.
07:11 You chase perfection, you're not gonna get there.
07:13 But as purpose, you can't be to get to where you wanna be.
07:16 So I think that's a good routine.
07:18 >> What thought went through your mind when you were playing for
07:22 the guys that you always had no thoughts about?
07:24 >> I mean, we were boys, that D line room always gets close.
07:27 I think we're one of the closest position groups on the field.
07:29 So I mean, I was my boy, he went and got, what did he get, 13 guaranteed?
07:34 Pretty good money, right?
07:36 [LAUGH] So, but it's also an opportunity for me to step up.
07:41 So when I see that, I'm just looking at myself and being like,
07:44 what can I do for myself to be successful now that I have even greater opportunity?
07:49 So I think that's where I'm at.
07:50 [BLANK_AUDIO]