Taylor Rapp was always a curious signing by the Buffalo Bills.
During free agency, the player and team agreed to a one-year deal. It was a surprise, because at that point, Jordan Poyer had already re-signed in Buffalo to start alongside Micah Hyde once again.
So how’d this marriage come to be? It was a two-way street.
Rapp, 25, was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. He has made 57 appearances over his career, which has included 48 starts. Rapp has not missed a game over the past two seasons. Plus he has a Super Bowl on his resume.
Despite all those successes early on, Rapp said he had always been aware of what was being built in Buffalo… and he liked what he saw.
“During free agency you’re always trying to find a good fit, not only for yourself as a player but as a team culture fit, too. I knew coach (Sean) McDermott, Brandon Beane, they’re just building something great here and I always had respect for how this team plays,” Rapp said. “They’ve got the right guys in the locker room.”
As far as the Bills were concerned, McDermott pulled out one of his trigger words: Versatility.
“He does a lot for us. Extremely smart football player. I was walking up and he was one of the first ones down here and it’s every day. His work ethic and his habits puts him in position to do more than one thing for us,” McDermott said via video conference.
“A lot” does describe what Rapp has been up to on Buffalo’s defense throughout this summer.
On paper, Rapp is the clear No. 3 safety in the defensive backfield behind Poyer and Hyde. But Rapp has seen time in the slot as a bigger nickel cornerback and as a box defender.
The multi-dimensional depth ability that Rapp provides could make him a perfect match with the Bills, even if the team avoids injury better than last season.
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