Tag: Taylor Rapp

Rams cancel trip to China with Taylor Rapp over coronavirus concerns

The Rams and Taylor Rapp had planned to go to China next week.

Taylor Rapp has quickly become a role model for the Los Angeles Rams, specifically in the Asian community. Being a Chinese American, Rapp wants to “show that Asians can play,” encouraging young athletes to pursue their dreams.

That campaign was supposed to continue abroad in China next week, with the Rams and Rapp traveling to Beijing and Shanghai for nearly two weeks. However, due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, that trip has been canceled.

The trip could take place at some point, but now plans have been set.

Here was the original announcement from Rapp and the Rams on Twitter.

It’s disappointing, but it’s simply impossible for the Rams to take this trip. The U.S. has closed travel to China and airlines have canceled flights there in hopes of containing the virus.

There are more than 24,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world with nearly 500 deaths reported as a result of it. Only two of those deaths have been outside of China.

The Rams have been rumored as a team that could play a game in China in the future, and this planned trip increased speculation that a game could happen at some point. For now, those plans will be put on hold until the virus is contained.

Taylor Rapp talks path to NFL as Asian-American, Jeremy Lin inspiration

Taylor Rapp used Jeremy Lin as inspiration on his path to the NFL.

Taylor Rapp was viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2019 draft, but he wound up slipping all the way to the second round where the Rams scooped him up at No. 61 overall. This wasn’t the first time he’s been overlooked on his path to the NFL, though.

Being an Asian-American, Rapp says he’s been overlooked throughout his football career, from his younger days all the way through college, too. Despite only being a rookie, Rapp has taken on a leadership role with the Rams as he tries to inspire other Asian-Americans and encourage them to pursue their dreams as he did.

For Rapp, former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin provided that inspiration eight years ago when he became a sensation in New York during his “Linsanity” run. Rapp was in high school at the time, and seeing Lin have so much success in professional sports really pushed him to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

Rapp was a guest on the “Fung Bros” YouTube podcast where he talked about who inspired him most in sports.

“I would say Jeremy Lin,” he said. “During that ‘Linsanity’ era, those couple months, he was probably the biggest deal in pro basketball and all of sports. And that’s when I really was like trying to go on to the next level.”

Rapp was asked if Lin’s emergence really helped push him as an athlete.

“I think so, for sure,” Rapp replied. “I kind of use that – you don’t have anyone to look up to. When you’re thinking about the future and you’re like, ‘Can I really make this happen?’ There’s no one out there. But for me to be able to see Jeremy do that on a national stage, obviously pro sports, that kind of gave me a little hope to go after it and attack it.”

Making it to the NFL isn’t easy for anyone, but Rapp says he had to overcome additional hurdles because of his race. He was overlooked by coaches because he’s Asian, which made his path to the pros difficult.

“I would go to college camps and stuff like that and just because I didn’t look like the typical football player – what is out in the real world right now in the NFL, what looks like a typical football player – I think I was not given the chances and as many looks from college coaches. Which I don’t really blame the college coaches because they’re just doing their jobs,” he said.

Rapp doesn’t want other players to go through what he did as they progress through their football careers, which is why he’s set out to help and inspire them.

“I didn’t have (expletive). And that’s kind of why I took on this role to be this role model or figure for kids who are in my position when they’re growing up, who I didn’t have growing up to look up to someone,” he said.

Rapp is expected to be a full-time starter for the Rams next season after putting together a solid first year in the NFL. And as his popularity and success grow, so too will his ability to help a younger generation trying to follow his path.

Rams shut out from PFWA All-Rookie Team for 2nd straight year

Taylor Rapp wasn’t named an All-Rookie at safety by the PFWA.

The Los Angeles Rams haven’t made a first-round pick since Jared Goff was taken No. 1 overall in 2016, and they aren’t slated to pick in the top 32 again until 2022 (barring possible trades). As a result, their draft classes haven’t typically been impactful in Year 1. That was certainly the case in 2018 when John Franklin-Myers was really the only one to play meaningful snaps.

This past season, the Rams got contributions from a bunch of rookies, led by Taylor Rapp, Bobby Evans and David Edwards. But for the second straight year, the Rams were shut out from the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team. They didn’t have a single player selected, with Rapp being the only legitimate candidate.

At safety, the PFWA selected Darnell Savage of the Packers and Juan Thornhill of the Chiefs.

The last time the Rams had a representative on the All-Rookie Team was in 2017 when Cooper Kupp was selected. In 2015, Todd Gurley and Rob Havenstein were honored. And the year before that, Tre Mason, Aaron Donald and E.J. Gaines made the All-Rookie Team.

In fact, since 2010, the Rams have had 12 players selected by the PFWA. From 2012-2015, multiple Rams players were named All-Rookies in each of those three seasons.

It’s difficult to find impactful rookies when you don’t have a first-round pick, but the Rams are making the most of their situation. They have promising young players entering Year 2 with Rapp, Darrell Henderson, Evans, Edwards and David Long Jr.

Taylor Rapp has a lot to build on from impressive rookie season

Taylor Rapp finished among the NFL’s best safeties in several categories.

Disaster seemed to hit the Rams when John Johnson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 6 against the 49ers. They still had Eric Weddle, but replacing a Pro Bowl-caliber safety like Johnson was not going to be easy.

Fortunately, they got a steal in the draft with Taylor Rapp, who fell to the second round. He stepped in and while there were some rough patches, especially early on, he finished the year as one of the bright spots for Los Angeles.

He ranked third on the team in tackles (108), tied for the lead in interceptions (2) and second in passes defensed (8). Here’s where he finished among all qualified safeties in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, which puts his rookie year in perspective.

Rapp’s biggest mistake was the blown coverage against the 49ers in Week 16, allowing a conversion on third-and-16. But there weren’t many other gaffes in Rapp’s game this season. He consistently found himself around the ball, lining up all over the field.

He played deep safety, strong safety and even lined up as a hybrid linebacker in the box at times, showing off his instincts and shiftiness in traffic. Assuming he continues this trajectory, he and Johnson are going to be a formidable duo for a long time – if the Rams choose to keep them together.

Taylor Rapp felt like a ‘completely different player’ in Week 17 vs. Week 1

Taylor Rapp discusses how far he came from the season opener to Week 17.

In a season full of disappointment, one of the positive developments that took place throughout the year was the progress made by Taylor Rapp. The rookie safety began the year as a backup and role player, but when John Johnson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 6, Rapp was thrust into a starting spot.

He finished the year with an overall grade of 64.5 from Pro Football Focus, at one point ranking as one of the best safeties in football. He allowed only 38 catches on 62 targets, breaking up eight total passes with two interceptions.

It was easy to see him gaining comfort as the season went on, and in his final session with the media last week, he explained just how far he came.

“I’m looking forward to next year, not being a rookie,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being out there and being more comfortable with the system. I felt like I’m a completely different player from Game 1 to Game 16, so just looking forward to getting out there and just being more comfortable and letting loose and playing fast.”

Rapp figures to be a starter next season alongside Johnson, giving the Rams one of the best safety tandems in the league. They’re both playmakers, tying for the team lead with two interceptions each.

That likely leaves Eric Weddle on the outside looking in, making it probable that the Rams will decline his 2020 option and save $4.25 million in cap space.

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Watch: Taylor Rapp picks off second pass of rookie season

This one was much easier for Rapp than his first.

Taylor Rapp’s rookie season will be remembered by some for his blown coverage in Week 16 against the 49ers, allowing San Francisco to convert on third-and-16. However, he’s been solid for the Rams this year, contributing in a big way as a rookie.

With one pick-six already on his stat line this season, Rapp added a second interception in Week 17 to give him two on the year. He picked off Kyler Murray in the fourth quarter and returned it 23 yards to set the Rams up with good field position.

Robert Woods turned the takeaway into points, scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive.

Taylor Rapp takes blame for costly blown coverage vs. 49ers

Taylor Rapp knows it was his mistake on Sanders’ 46-yard catch.

Rookie mistakes haven’t plagued Rams safety Taylor Rapp this season, but he certainly made one on Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers. On third-and-16 with about a minute to play, Rapp and Jalen Ramsey had a miscommunication in the secondary that led to a 46-yard gain by Emmanuel Sanders.

It set up Robbie Gould’s game-winning field goal, which he made and eliminated the Rams from playoff contention.

After the loss, Jalen Ramsey made it clear that Rapp wasn’t in the right spot, expecting the rookie safety to help over the top against Sanders. Rapp was nowhere to be found, drifting toward the sideline as Sanders went to the deep middle.

“It wasn’t me and Eric. E-Dub was on the other side. It was me and Rapp,” Ramsey said. “We as in a form of two-man. We had an adjustment check to it because they was condensed splits. I played my technique, trusting that he was going to be over the top. And he wasn’t. That’s just what happened.”

Rapp accepted the blame for blowing the coverage and allowing Sanders to get open, admitting his mistake of not playing over the top to defend the deep pass.

“It’s tough when I could have done a better job of getting over the top,” said Rapp, via the Whittier Daily News. “I was supposed to get over the top a little bit.

“No communication.”

The Rams had almost no chance to make the playoffs entering Week 16, needing to win out and have the Vikings lose their last two. However, a win would’ve at least kept them alive in the playoff hunt, but now they’re heading home with an 8-7 record and a lot of reflecting to do.

Don’t rip Jalen Ramsey for being honest about Rams’ costly blown coverage vs. 49ers

Jalen Ramsey indicated who was at fault for the Rams’ costly blown coverage. Was he pointing fingers?

On Saturday, two of the NFL’s best cornerbacks watched while their assignment made a crucial catch against a brutal blown coverage. In both cases, it wasn’t clear who made the mistake.

The first came in the afternoon during the New England Patriots’ win over the Buffalo Bills. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore watched while John Brown ran into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown. It was Gilmore’s lone gaffe on the day — or was it? It appeared as if Gilmore was looking for safety to help with coverage over the top. Devin McCoury got sucked in as the Patriots’ pass-rush closed in on quarterback Josh Allen. Even with defenders hanging off Allen, the throw was perfect. After the game, Gilmore was pressed to share what happened. He gave nothing. After the scrum cleared, he was pressed again: What happened?

“That’s not for you to know,” Gilmore told For the Win with a smile.

While Gilmore’s non-answer is fun, snarky and in compliance with The Patriot Way, he didn’t actually provide the media or the fans with a substantial answer. That’s what made Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s answer so refreshing when he was asked about an even more costly blown coverage on Saturday.

In the final minute of the Los Angeles Rams’ 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Ramsey seemed to lose his mark, receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who shook free for a 46-yard reception. That play set up a game-winning field goal, which ended the Rams’ playoff hopes.

“It wasn’t me and Eric (Weddle). E-Dub was on the other side. It was me and (Taylor) Rapp,” Ramsey said after the game, via ESPN’s Linsey Thirty. “We was in a form of two-man. We had an adjustment check to it because they was condensed splits. I played my technique, trusting that he was going to be over the top. And he wasn’t. That’s just what happened.”

Is it finger pointing? Well, kind of.

Is it a matter of facts? Definitely.

Ramsey was clarifying that Rapp — and not safety Eric Weddle — was in the wrong on the play. And it sounds like they made some sort of adjust at the line of scrimmage, which Rapp didn’t hear. So, yes, Ramsey was deferring responsibility to his teammate. But perhaps that’s what Rapp needs as he develops — he’s just a rookie. Ramsey made a teaching moment for fans, media members and Rapp.

Ramsey appears to be trusting fans with candor. They shouldn’t slam a 22-year-old who was a second-round pick. Slamming Rapp for the error and Ramsey for the explanation would be a needless punishment for what NFL players so rarely share: the truth. That’s what made Deshaun Watson’s press conferences so refreshing this season. That’s what makes Ramsey such a fun player: he’s brutally honest. Let’s keep it that way.

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Was it acceptable for Jalen Ramsey to throw Taylor Rapp under the bus?

After the Rams’ Week 16 loss to the 49ers, cornerback Jalen Ramsey specified who was responsible for a coverage bust. Was that appropriate?

With 58 seconds left in the Saturday night game between the 49ers and Rams, and the game tied at 31, San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo heaved a pass to receiver Emmanuel Sanders for a 46-yard gain that took the ball from the 49ers’ 31-yard line to the Rams’ 23. Two plays later, Robbie Gould booted a 33-yard field goal that gave his team a 34-31 win, set the 49ers up nicely for the postseason with a 12-3 record, and eliminated the Rams — the defending NFC champions — from the 2019 playoffs.

It was the second third-and-16 San Francisco converted on the drive — earlier, Garoppolo had hit receiver Kendrick Bourne for an 18-yard gain in a similarly sticky situation.

“I felt like we were [getting] pressure,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald said after the game. We were there but he [Garoppolo] was making some good throws. We were about to get him, if we had a second longer. He made two good passes to help his team to win.”

As it turns out, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey was entirely willing to recall what happened.

“It wasn’t me and Eric — he played the other side. It was [safety Taylor] Rapp,” Ramsey said, when asked by ESPN reporter Lindsey Thiry what he and safety Eric Weddle saw on the Sanders play. “We were in a form of 2-Man [coverage]. We had an adjustment check to it because [the 49ers were in a] condensed split, I played my technique, trusting that he was going to be over the top… and he wasn’t. That’s what happened.”

Rapp was the Rams’ second-round pick in 2019 out of Washington. He had seen his snaps increase over the last month due to injuries in the secondary (most specifically, John Johnson III’s shoulder injury), and it’s clear that in a 2-Man responsibility, this was not the right technique. 2-Man is basically a Cover-2 safety look with man coverage underneath, and safeties must be where they’re supposed to be so that the cornerbacks can play man coverage confidently. There is also the question of how closely Ramsey should have covered Sanders through the route if 2-Man was the coverage. If you want to, you can assign all kinds of responsibilities to coverage meltdowns.

Rapp made a mistake, but was Ramsey right to call him out publicly? One could say that, given the specificity of the question, Ramsey had no choice but to point out that it wasn’t Weddle who was the problem. One might also say that this was a form of “tough love” in which Ramsey is making it clear that such coverage busts are not to be tolerated.

Ramsey is a great cornerback, and he’s a tough competitor. That competitive edge has worked both ways for him throughout his career. And while he is a fine player, he’s also not perfect — going into Saturday’s game, he’d given up 26 catches on 35 targets for 324 yards, and an opponent passer rating of 102.6 in his eight games with the Rams this season. Ramsey started his 2019 season with the Jaguars before an October trade, and in the first week of the 2019 season, he gave up two touchdown passes against the Chiefs. One can also imagine that Ramsey would not have been overly pleased if one of his teammates had given a blow-by-blow recitation of Ramsey’s coverage issues in the locker room right after the game.

Donald’s conclusion — we were close to getting Garoppolo, but he made good throws — seems like the way to go in cases like this. Ramsey wasn’t wrong in his analysis of the play, of course, but there are many different ways to bring that truth to the forefront.

Rams’ Week 16 studs and duds: Donald and Fowler shine, Rapp struggles

The best and worst performances from the Rams’ 34-31 loss.

It was a stunning and humbling loss for the Rams on Saturday night, but it wasn’t all bad for the defending NFC champions. While the 34-31 defeat hurt and eliminated them from playoff contention, quite a few players did have strong performances.

Here are our studs and duds from the Rams’ Week 16 loss to the 49ers.

Studs

Tyler Higbee and Robert Woods

Higbee and Woods remain Jared Goff’s top targets in the passing game. Higbee caught nine passes for 104 yards on 11 targets, while Woods racked up 117 yards on eight catches (11 targets). No other player had more than four catches or 39 yards, as Higbee and Woods were the ones open most often – specifically on designed rollouts for Goff. Both pass-catchers had great performances, just as they have in recent weeks.

Aaron Donald

Donald once again commanded double-teams on most of his pass-rush reps, which is nothing new. Still, he recorded 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. His sacks came at clutch moments, too, both in the second half. Donald has a huge impact each week for the Rams defense, drawing attention away from the other pass rushers.

Dante Fowler Jr.

Fowler is earning a big payday this offseason with his play in 2019. He’s up to 11.5 sacks on the year after adding 2.5 more on Saturday night, consistently getting to Jimmy Garoppolo off the edge. His speed is evident every week that he’s on the field and if the Rams can’t re-sign him this offseason, he’s going to be missed at outside linebacker in 2020.

Jalen Ramsey

Ramsey left the game briefly with a knee injury and was considered doubtful to return. He only missed a series, though, and was back out there in short order. He said afterwards that he was playing through pain and will get an MRI on his knee, but he still had a great performance. He picked off one pass and broke up another that was intercepted by Darious Williams, creating two interceptions for the Rams defense.

On the 46-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders on the final drive of the game, Ramsey indicated the blown coverage was on Taylor Rapp. It was a bad play regardless of who was at fault, and cost the Rams a win.

Darious Williams

Williams was making his first start with the Rams and the coaches couldn’t have expected him to play much better than he did. He picked off one pass, deflected another and was in coverage on a high throw to Deebo Samuel, playing great coverage on the in-breaking route. For a player with as little experience as he has, he stepped up in a big way.

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