It was announced earlier this afternoon that the Denver Broncos have released veteran safety Taylor Rapp. This was weird because he just signed with the team a few days ago, and Payton and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph spoke highly of him to the media. This led to some confusion this afternoon in Broncos Country, but we now have our answer.
Payton met with the media today after practice and told reporters that Rapp is dealing with personal issues and “needs some time at home.” However, he added
that there’s a “better-than-good chance” that he will be back and re-signed with the team at some point.
When he signed, it seemed like Rapp would be penciled in as the Broncos’ third safety. However, the sudden release was a surprise, especially after Payton’s comments a few days ago, but now we have an understanding of the situation
Payton told reporters that Rapp was a player they liked and was available, and they wanted to work him out and sign him if possible.
“Yes, [he’s a] veteran player we liked, had good grades on and just more talent at that position. It was really more… It wasn’t like us pounding the table, ‘We need a safety.’ It was, ‘Hey, this player’s available,’ and ‘Let’s work him out and sign him if possible.’ So I’m glad he’s here. We’ve had experience playing against him. He has real good football instincts and awareness that serves you well at that position. So I think it was more availability than necessity, if that makes sense.”
Taylor Rapp is only 28 years old and is a former 2nd-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He is an experienced safety with plenty of starting experience who has spent time with the Rams and previously with the Buffalo Bills.
During his seven seasons in the NFL, Rapp has appeared in 93 games and started 72 of them. Last season, he appeared in six games for the Buffalo Bills before a knee injury ended his season, and he was placed on the injured reserve. Throughout his career, Rapp has totaled 488 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 12 interceptions, 31 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles.
No timetable was given on when Rapp is expected to re-sign with the team, so it’ll be interesting to see how his pending return impacts their 53-man roster construction this coming weekend.
