Tag: Taylor Rapp

Bills secondary with massive concerns ahead of Lions clash

Bills secondary with massive concerns ahead of Lions clash

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced on Friday that starting cornerback Rasul Douglas will miss the Week 15 game at the Detroit Lions due to his knee injury suffered in the loss to the LA Rams last week.

This will be Douglas’ first game missed this season. He and Christian Benford have proven to be a reliable duo of outside corners since Douglas was brought over in a trade at last year’s deadline.

Without Douglas, the Bills could look to former first-round draft pick Kaiir Elam to take over the starting position. Ja’Marcus Ingram, a University at Buffalo product, is also in the mix for playing time.

Not only will Buffalo be down a starter at corner, but their safeties are banged up as well. Both starters Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder) and Damar Hamlin (back/ribs) were limited in practice on Friday.

Rapp didn’t practice until Friday this week, and is officially questionable for the Detroit game.

The good news for the Bills is that he was able to play in last week’s game after dealing with similar circumstances leading up to that game.

As for Hamlin, he popped up on the injury report Thursday after practicing in full on Wednesday. Like Rapp, Hamlin is questionable for Week 15.

Find the full Friday injury report below:

Bills have two players in red non-contact jersey at final pre-Rams practice

Bills have two players in red non-contact jersey at final pre-Rams practice

Ahead of facing the Los Angeles Rams (6-6) in Week 14, the Buffalo Bills (10-2) have looked like a very healthy team.

The Bills are only two weeks removed from their bye, but in their latest outing, a 35-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers (5-7), they remained healthy.

Throughout the past few days leading up to their clash with the Rams, Buffalo has not had anyone missing practice.

However, a few have worked out in a limited fashion.

Head coach Sean McDermott noted that the Bills would have everyone on the field at practice once again on Friday, their final workout before heading out to Los Angeles. But there were still two players to keep an eye out for.

According to ESPN, wide receiver Keon Coleman (wrist) and safety Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder) were both wearing red non-contact jerseys during that session.

The team has yet to release their final injury designations for Sunday’s game.

Bills Wire will provide those updates from both teams when information is made available.

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Baldy’s Breakdown: Bills stacking wins using NFL best turnover differential

Baldy’s Breakdown: Bills stacking wins using NFL best turnover differential

Sean McDermott’s Buffalo Bills have continuously beaten their opponents this year by winning the turnover battle, and Sunday night in Week 13 was no different.

The Bills (10-2) forced the San Francisco 49ers (5-7) to turn the ball over three times and had no turnovers of their own in the 35-10 victory.

The Bills lead the NFL in turnover differential at +17. They are second in the league for most takeaways (24) and second in the league with the fewest giveaways (7). They are also second in fumbles recovered (11).

Add all of these components together and you can get a good picture as to why the Bills are 10-2 on the year before even mentioning the team’s points scored and points allowed.

On Sunday, the Bills did what they have been doing all year: they forced their opponent to cough up the ball. Cornerback Christian Benford recovered a fumble forced by safety Taylor Rapp, Jalen Virgil recovered a fumble forced by Cole Bishop on special teams, and pass rusher Greg Rousseau recovered a Brock Purdy fumble.

“One reason the Bills have won seven in a row, and are running away with the AFC East again, is their ability to take the ball away,” said NFL Network and Fox Sports analyst Brian Baldinger in his post-game breakdown. “They are taking it away on average two times per game. You keep doing that, you keep winning.”

Their current turnover differential (+17) is much improved from the previous two years. In 2023, the Bills posted a +2 turnover differential, and in 2022 they broke even (0).

It’s not just the defense causing turnovers that is the reason for their leap over the past two years. A big reason for the improvement is the fact that the offense, and more specifically quarterback Josh Allen, is taking care of the ball.

Last year through 12 games, Allen already had 13 interceptions. This year, he has five.

The offense had zero turnovers in Week 13, and that now makes it six games out of twelve where the Bills have not given the ball away. Last year, the Bills only had three such games over the entire year.

McDermott expressed his pleasure with Allen and the offense taking care of the ball earlier this year, saying, “He’s done a tremendous, tremendous job… he really has, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the way we’ve protected the house on offense. His level of decision-making has increased this season and been very important to our team.”

Taking care of the ball always gives you a chance to win. Add on top of the league-leading turnover differential the fact that the Bills are second in the NFL in points per game, and you can see why they are one of the favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy.

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Bills’ Taylor Rapp downplays potential injury at practice

Bills’ Taylor Rapp downplays potential injury at practice

Buffalo Bills (5-2) safety Taylor Rapp says he’s fine, but it did appear he was flirting with injury at practice this week ahead of his team’s trip to face the Seattle Seahawks (4-3) in Week 8.

During a workout and while media was observing the practice, Rapp was spotted getting his foot or ankle looked at by the Bills’ medical staff.

WIVB-TV was one of the media outlets to catch Rapp being checked out:

Following practice, WIVB-TV also caught up with Rapp. Reportedly the safety said he was “all good.”

Interestingly, Rapp was never listed on the team’s injury report for whatever the issue was. Even if a player is not going to miss action, if they get any treatment from trainers they are supposed to be listed but Rapp was not.

Regardless, Rapp’s ankle or foot might be something to keep in mind during Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.

Another look at Rapp’s taped ankle can be found in the Batavia News photo below:

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Bills’ Taylor Rapp to return to action vs. Jets wearing special gear

Bills’ Taylor Rapp to return to action vs. Jets wearing special gear

Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp was forced to miss Week 5’s game after a suffering a concussion the week prior. Rapp has since been cleared to play and will make his return in Week 6 against the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.”

Rapp will be wearing some new headgear in the prime-time matchup.

On Monday night, Rapp will be the first Bills player to wear the Guardian cap in a game.

“For sure, I’m wearing it,” Rapp told The Buffalo News on Thursday. “I liked wearing [the cap] during training camp and I switched to the new helmet [as well]. It was definitely something I was [already] considering.”

Rapp has sustained concussions in his career in the past when he was previously with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Guardian cap, invented by Guardian Sports in 2010, is backed by science in a similar way that airbags work in a vehicle.

Here is a direct quote from the Guardian Sports website regarding the Guardian caps:

Physics say that an outer “soft” material of the proper density, stiffness and energy absorbing properties reduces the initial severity of the impact. The hard shell then has lower forces transmitted to it, and in turn conveys lower forces to the interior soft helmet padding and then lower forces to the head. Very similar to a NASCAR driver and the soft wall technology that tracks have adopted or even automobiles and the soft bumpers and airbags that are now required. The Guardian Cap serves the same purpose for an athlete’s head—a soft shell barrier between it and impact.

Given Rapp’s past head injuries and his downhill style play, the cap makes a lot of sense as he recovers from his most recent concussion.

The NFL has only seen a handful of players wear the cap through six weeks. That number should continue to rise as more players see its benefit. The Bills and Rapp using them as a post-concussion precaution seems like a good idea for the player and team. Perhaps that is a trend we will see going forward.

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Bills’ Taylor Rapp leaves vs. Ravens because of head injury

Bills’ Taylor Rapp leaves vs. Ravens because of head injury

The Bills are down a starting safety against the Ravens in their Week 4 matchup.

In a game that has gone from bad to worse for the Bills in the first half, Rapp’s injury adds salt to the wound.

While attempting to make a tackle on Ravens running back Derrick Henry, Rapp struggled to get up. The team has announced that Rapp is being evaluated for a head injury.

In his place, second-round rookie Cole Bishop replaced Rapp in the lineup. Rapp ended up walking to the locker room with the team’s medical staff.

Bills Wire will provide updates as information is made available.

Taylor Rapp on first year with Bills: ‘Best thing that could have ever happened’

Taylor Rapp on first year with #Bills: ‘Best thing ever could have happened’

Taylor Rapp is happy to be with the Buffalo Bills and his standing with the team could very well grow in the next few months.

In terms of the player himself, Rapp was very much positive when reflecting on his first season as a Bill in 2023. He signed as a free agent before last season and has since inked an extension.

If you needed more than actions, he provided the words.

“Probably the best thing that could have ever happened in my career,” Rapp said.

In terms of the future, the hints were provided by Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott.

With the departure of Jordan Poyer who was released this offseason, there’s a starting spot up for grabs. It’s also assumed that Micah Hyde will retire. That’s another first-team position.

McDermott noted during spring practices that Rapp has started to step into the leader shoes Poyer and Hyde have left open.

“Last week, in particular, [Rapp’s growth] really stood out,” McDermott said. “Now, new role this year, and I hate to say ‘role’ because roles aren’t really defined until everybody makes the team, but at this point, Taylor’s really stepped into that role, and I would say asserted himself from a leadership standpoint, a little bit, and a communicator standpoint, which is huge in that backend.”

Rapp sounds like a name to watch during training camp.

For more from Rapp, see the attached WKBW-TV clip below:

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PFF calls extending Taylor Rapp their ‘least favorite’ move by Bills

PFF calls extending Taylor Rapp their ‘least favorite’ move by Bills:

Taylor Rapp? Pro Football Focus is not a fan.

PFF is not a fan.

The football analytics outlet named their least favorite decision by every NFL team during the free agency. For the Buffalo Bills, extending safety Taylor Rapp was not the move they would have done.

Here’s why PFF thinks so:

Buffalo is moving on from the dynamic duo of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who had an incredible run as the starting safety tandem for years. Rapp is a good box defender, and the Bills structured this deal in a way that they can approach it year to year while also buying out two additional years from Rapp.

This deal could effectively be a one-year, $4.2 million pact, which is not bad at all. With so many safeties available, it just felt like Buffalo could’ve gotten really stingy at the position while spending a bit more elsewhere, such as on the offensive line.

PFF does not completely hate the move… but the outlet is not the biggest fan. Rapp has some doubters.

What’s working in Rapp’s favorite is Jordan Poyer leaving. That appears to be his better position and not the one he mostly played last season. That opening is his to prove PFF wrong. He signed a three-year extension in Buffalo.

In his first season with the Bills, Rapp accounted for 50 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, half a sack, two pass breakups, an interception, and a fumble recovery. He appeared on 421 defensive snaps and another 191 on special teams.

Rapp was originally a second-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 NFL draft.

Bills Wire will continue to provide free agency updates throughout the 2024 offseason.

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Bills sign Taylor Rapp to three-year extension

#Bills sign Taylor Rapp to three-year extension:

Jordan Poyer’s gone and Micah Hyde is a pending free agent.

But Taylor Rapp is going nowhere.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rapp has signed a three-year extension with the Buffalo Bills.

Rapp, 26, signed with the Bills last year on a one-year contract. He served as a backup to both Poyer and Hyde and played in certain packages which put all three on the field at once.

In his first season with the Bills, Rapp accounted for 50 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, half a sack, two pass breakups, an interception, and a fumble recovery. He appeared on 421 defensive snaps and another 191 on special teams.

What’s certainly going to be different now is his role on the defense. With Poyer out, Rapp is likely sliding into his starting spot. Damar Hamlin and Kendall Williamson are the only other safeties under contract with the Bills currently.

Rapp was originally a second-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 NFL draft.

Bills Wire will continue to provide free agency updates throughout the 2024 offseason.

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Two former Rams land extensions with Bills amid Buffalo’s roster teardown

The Bills tore down their roster on Wednesday, but two players they signed to extensions are former Rams

The Buffalo Bills came into the week about $40 million over the salary cap, needing to get under the limit by the start of the new league year on March 13. So on Wednesday, they began moving around pieces to help them get under the cap.

They went through a full roster teardown, releasing five players, including All-Pro defensive backs Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer. It was a rapid-fire day of moves for Buffalo, with seemingly few players being safe from getting axed.

Two players who managed to secure extensions from Buffalo amid all the releases, and they just happen to be former Rams. Guard David Edwards landed a two-year deal with the Bills, while safety Taylor Rapp earned a three-year deal worth up to $14.5 million.

They were both pending free agents so it’s not as if the Bills could’ve cut them, but it seems they’ve made enough of a positive impact in Buffalo since leaving the Rams that they earned multi-year extensions to stay with the Bills.

Last season, Rapp played 16 games and made four starts, picking off one pass and recording 50 tackles. Edwards was a backup last year, making zero starts, but he’s expected to be a starter in 2024.