The Denver Broncos brought veteran safety Taylor Rapp into the fold last week ahead of their Week 2 preseason matchup against the Green Bay Packers, and Head Coach Sean Payton didn’t mince words today about the real reason behind the move. He basically said Rapp was too good to ignore, even if they weren’t exactly scrambling for a safety.
Payton’s “Talent Over Necessity” Play
Payton told reporters they had “good grades” on Rapp and simply wanted “more talent at that position.” It wasn’t some desperate scramble, he clarified. “It wasn’t like us pounding the table, ‘We need a safety,’” Payton stated. Instead, it was more like, “Hey, this player’s available,’ and ‘Let’s work him out and sign him if possible.’” The coach sounded genuinely pleased, adding, “I’m glad he’s here.” He praised Rapp’s “real good football instincts and awareness” and mentioned they’d had experience playing against him. Payton summed it up perfectly: “I think it was more availability than necessity, if that makes sense.” Sounds like a shrewd move, grabbing a proven guy when the opportunity popped up.
Rapp’s Resume Fills a Glaring Hole
But let’s be real, even if Payton framed it as an opportunistic grab, the Broncos had a pretty big gap to fill. They lost P.J. Locke, who was their third safety last season, to free agency and hadn’t really brought anyone in to replace that role. They let guys like All-Pro special teams player Devon Key, JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson, and rookies Miles Scott and Parker Robertson compete for the spot during the offseason and into training camp, but none of them fully locked it down.
Enter Rapp. This dude is a former second-round selection with serious mileage. He’s appeared in 93 games, starting 72 of them. His career numbers are no joke: 488 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 12 interceptions, 31 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles. Yeah, he only played six games for the Buffalo Bills last season before a knee injury sent him to injured reserve, but that experience and talent are exactly what the Broncos needed. Bringing in a talented veteran like Rapp, with playoff and Super Bowl experience, to fill that glaring need at this point in the summer? Yeah, that makes a ton of sense, availability or not.
So, Rapp is in Denver, ready to roll. The Broncos are set to face the Green Bay Packers in their Week 2 preseason matchup. You gotta figure Rapp will be diving straight into action, showing exactly why Payton’s “availability” pick might just be the exact “necessity” they didn’t even know they were pounding the table for.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
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