Taylor Rapp Signing with Bills

[H2o]

Just now, HOUSE said:

This is like a shot of Crown Royal is a bar full of cheap people

[Beck Water]

6 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

I would agree.  They already have 7-8 safeties coming to camp.  One more UFA/UDFA after the draft and they are done.

Hyde

Poyer

Rapp

Hamlin

Lewis (although I will point out Beane's presser comment that Cam is best at backup NCB)

Neal

Anderson

Mayden

I know I'm a broken record and the ultra-pro special team's guys will jump on this, but I have to ask it again.

Is Siran Neal really worth $6.725M for the next 2 seasons?  I think he will have real competition this summer for that position.

 

Just to point out here that I don't think it's a sure thing that Hamlin is going to play

The Bills, I believe, have listed Lewis as a CB at this point vs. as a backup safety

Mayden is the PS guy they hope may develop

You're not gonna want to hear this, but pretty sure Zayne Anderson was signed as a ST guy.  0 snaps on defense, 60% and 69% on ST.

ST is also primarily Neal's role

 

That leaves Hyde, Poyer, Rapp, possibly Hamlin with an **, with maybe Lewis and Neal as "break glass in emergency" kind of choices

 

Regarding Neal: as I understand it, the Bills core ST coverage/protection unit has been

Tyrel Dodson, Tyler Matakevich, Reggie Gilliam, Siran Neal, Taiwan Jones, Jake Kumerow, and Jaquan Johnson.  @GunnerBill correct me if I missed anyone.
Johnson has signed with Vegas.  Jones and Kumerow are still unsigned

 

The Bills have signed Zayne Anderson and Trent Sherfield, both with a lot of ST experience, so possibly they are going to move on from Jones and Kumerow.   I see Sherfield as a big upgrade on Kumerow because he's proven he can actually play WR vs Kumerow, who came to us with Rodger's endorsement but has disappointed.  Anderson may actually have potential at Safety because he's young and could develop, vs. Jaquan Johnson who got his chance to play and, 'nuff said.

 

So no, I don't think they're going to move on from more than half of their core ST coverage guys in one year.  Neal isn't getting paid because the Bills regard him as so critical as a Dime back and backup safety, he's here because they regard him as a key part of their ST who actually can contribute on D when asked.

 

 

 

 

[SCBills]

Ed Oliver is the one guy holding me back from wondering how creative we may get at LB.  

 

If we move him and roll with 4 big bodies (FA/Draft) I could definitely see us getting pretty creative in the back 7.... I just don't see how we do that with a guy who already gets washed in certain situations in Oliver. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

6 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

Hell I even think Dorsey would run against a Milano Dime

It’s about personnel matching. Our defense was never very physical upfront with our LBs. Depends a lot on DB tackling. It works. Sometimes we do get run over but it’s rare that we lose because of it.

Edited March 27, 2023 by Buffalo_Stampede

[ColoradoBills]

2 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Ed Oliver is the one guy holding me back from wondering how creative we may get at LB.  

 

If we move him and roll with 4 big bodies (FA/Draft) I could definitely see us getting pretty creative in the back 7.... I just don't see how we do that with a guy who already gets washed in certain situations in Oliver. 

 

I was just going to reply to @TOboysomething along this point.  I know it's all speculation, and I'm not saying any of this stuff would be

a full-time D, but someone on the D side of the ball has to create a system where guys like Kelce don't just run free constantly.

 

It's a copycat league, but someone has to try innovations.  It's long odds but fun to think about!

[DapperCam]

Sounds like a Siran Neal replacement to me. But one that can actually play DB when called upon.

[Dopey]

41 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

I would agree.  They already have 7-8 safeties coming to camp.  One more UFA/UDFA after the draft and they are done.

Hyde

Poyer

Rapp

Hamlin

Lewis (although I will point out Beane's presser comment that Cam is best at backup NCB)

Neal

Anderson

Mayden

I know I'm a broken record and the ultra-pro special team's guys will jump on this, but I have to ask it again.

Is Siran Neal really worth $6.725M for the next 2 seasons?  I think he will have real competition this summer for that position.

 

 

I would add Benford to the list. I think he's going to get some work at safety this off season. 

[ColoradoBills]

Just now, Dopey said:

I would add Benford to the list. I think he's going to get some work at safety this off season. 

 

Beane had hinted at that too.  He is stuck as depth only with Dane Jackson now.

I'm sure he gets safety snaps in camp to see how he does.  

[Yantha]

53 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

Well.  As some know, I'm still salty about Boogie Basham when Creed Humphrey was on the board.  But Morse is still under contract for 2 more years, and the Bills seem to like Bates as a backup C and perhaps McGovern as a 3rd string. 

 

Bottom line, I'm with you, but I don't think the Bills have any plans to draft a C, at least not in the first 4 rounds.

 

I sort of build a different FA need vs. Draft need list.  

 

FA needs for me... fill basic roster needs where upgrades are needed as the first criteria.

 

I prioritize DRAFT needs with the positional age (players who will be 30 years old+ in September) of the current roster (and whether they are starters or not).

I also prioritize DRAFT needs where there are certain players lost via FA that have not been adequately replaced.

 

This season:

#1 need:  MLB, since Tremaine Edmunds was not replaced via FA.

Other needs (in no particular order: These are starters over the age of 30, and we need to address need via training the next generation starters.

-  Center (Morse is over 30, and has had concussion issues)

-  Safety (Hyde/Poyer are over 30).  Rask eliminates ONE of these needs but we need to find another young option to train and I'm not sure we have the next man up on the roster currently.   

-  Defensive Tackle (Jones is over 30).  I still see this as a LOWER need since the positional group is fairly strong.  A late round pick will suffice.

-  Tackle (Dawkins).  I'd put OT as the NUMBER 2 need right now since we're also not all that thrilled with our RT starter.  

-  Wide Receiver (Diggs is over 30).  We addressed WR depth in the FA, and we will see just how much faith Beane has in Davis.  The draft will tell all.

 

So, now that the FA is shaking out, I'm happy to remove some draft needs and rank them as:

1.  MLB

2.  OT

3.  Tie between S, WR, DT, OC

 

The GREAT thing is that this year I'd say that all of our 30+ aged players are still playing at a fairly high level!

 

EXTRA DRAFT NEEDS:  30+ aged backups..... (and I'm not even sure if all of these are even on the current roster....)

QB Barkley

DL Bryant

OL Mancz

DT Ankou

DB Neal

LB Matakevich - signed extension

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Yantha

[DrDawkinstein]

47 minutes ago, boyst said:

@DrDawkinstein

"21 is the mike!  21 is the mike!"

 

Nightmares. Literal trauma. 🤣

[Fixxxer]

 

[sunshynman]

1 minute ago, Yantha said:

 

I sort of build a different FA need vs. Draft need list.  

 

FA needs for me... fill basic roster needs where upgrades are needed as the first criteria.

 

I prioritize DRAFT needs with the positional age (players who will be 30 years old+ in September) of the current roster (and whether they are starters or not).

I also prioritize DRAFT needs where there are certain players lost via FA that have not been adequately replaced.

 

This season:

#1 need:  MLB, since Tremaine Edmunds was not replaced via FA.

Other needs (in no particular order: These are starters over the age of 30, and we need to address need via training the next generation starters.

-  Center (Morse is over 30, and has had concussion issues)

-  Safety (Hyde/Poyer are over 30).  Rask eliminates ONE of these needs but we need to find another young option to train and I'm not sure we have the next man up on the roster currently.   

-  Defensive Tackle (Jones is over 30).  I still see this as a LOWER need since the positional group is fairly strong.  A late round pick will suffice.

-  Tackle (Dawkins).  I'd put OT as the NUMBER 2 need right now since we're also not all that thrilled with our RT starter.  

-  Wide Receiver (Diggs is over 30).  We addressed WR depth in the FA, and we will see just how much faith Beane has in Davis.  The draft will tell all.

 

So, now that the FA is shaking out, I'm happy to remove some draft needs and rank them as:

1.  MLB

2.  OT

3.  Tie between S, WR, DT, OC

 

The GREAT thing is that this year I'd say that all of our 30+ aged players are still playing at a fairly high level!

 

EXTRA DRAFT NEEDS:  30+ aged backups..... (and I'm not even sure if all of these are even on the current roster....)

QB Barkley

DL Bryant

OL Mancz

DT Ankou

DB Neal

LB Matakevich - signed extension

 

Barkley is a QB asst. coach at this point. He might not make it out of camp this year. Unless Josh wants him to stay. 

 

We have zero DT's signed passed this year. They will draft some. 

 

[ytownblofan]

Just imagining Mac Jones walking up to the center and starting to read the defense. Looking across the line, he sees Von Miller in a track stance, gulps, then scans the rest of the defense and sees Milano, Rapp, Po, and Micah all casually walking toward the line and he has no idea who is coming. Puts a big smile on my face thinking how quickly he is going to throw the ball directly into the ground or pick the wrong blitzer and be shocked when *insert Bill here* gets a free release on him

[Einstein]

1 hour ago, Beck Water said:

 

And yet, the Rams won the 2021 superbowl with Rapp starting 17 games.

Go Figgur how such a stupid team with such bad personnel evaluation that the "average fan" can do better pulled that off.

 

The logic here doesn't make sense.

 

Football is a team game and can overcome the bad play of one or even two players.

 

Ben Roethlisberger won a Super Bowl in which he was 9-21 for 123 yards and 2 INT.

[Beck Water]

5 minutes ago, Yantha said:

 

I sort of build a different FA need vs. Draft need list.  

 

FA needs for me... fill basic roster needs where upgrades are needed as the first criteria.

 

I prioritize DRAFT needs with the positional age (players who will be 30 years old+ in September) of the current roster (and whether they are starters or not).

I also prioritize DRAFT needs where there are certain players lost via FA that have not been adequately replaced.

 

This season:

#1 need:  MLB, since Tremaine Edmunds was not replaced via FA.

Other needs (in no particular order: These are starters over the age of 30, and we need to address need via training the next generation starters.

-  Center (Morse is over 30, and has had concussion issues)

-  Safety (Hyde/Poyer are over 30).  Rask eliminates ONE of these needs but we need to find another young option to train and I'm not sure we have the next man up on the roster currently.   

-  Defensive Tackle (Jones is over 30).  I still see this as a LOWER need since the positional group is fairly strong.  A late round pick will suffice.

-  Tackle (Dawkins).  I'd put OT as the NUMBER 2 need right now since we're also not all that thrilled with our RT starter.  

-  Wide Receiver (Diggs is over 30).  We addressed WR depth in the FA, and we will see just how much faith Beane has in Davis.  The draft will tell all.

 

So, now that the FA is shaking out, I'm happy to remove some draft needs and rank them as:

1.  MLB

2.  OT

3.  Tie between S, WR, DT, OC

 

The GREAT thing is that this year I'd say that all of our 30+ aged players are still playing at a fairly high level!

 

EXTRA DRAFT NEEDS:  30+ aged backups..... (and I'm not even sure if all of these are even on the current roster....)

QB Barkley

DL Bryant

OL Mancz

DT Ankou

DB Neal

LB Matakevich - signed extension

 

 

Interesting approach!  How does Hamlin affect your S assessment if he returns?

 

One place where I differ is at WR; I view it as an area where it's difficult to get a true upgrade at the #1-3 position in FA because the position pays such a premium.  In FA, one over-pays for aging talent.  Thus, I view it as a priority to attempt to draft the best guy we can get our hands on.  We haven't drafted a WR above round 4 in 6 years, and we badly need a talent infusion.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like the Harty signing as a high ceiling/low floor shot at #4 and the Sherfield signing as a potential upgrade at #5 since, like Kumerow, he can play teams.  But last season showed me we were far from set at #2 and #3, and our depth/development pipeline is currently nonexistent.

 

Another place where I differ is at DL.  We currently have 3 of last year's 4 DL rotation under contract.  We don't have 2 3TDT of starting caliber on the roster, and unless we plan to extend Oliver, we will have 0 on the roster next season.  So it seems like a fairly basic roster need that has yet to be filled.  I don't agree entirely, but Ryan O'Halloran's TBN piece is pretty good:

https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/ryan-ohalloran-bills-have-stood-pat-on-defensive-line-in-free-agency-an-addition-is/article_a736556e-cbf8-11ed-ac35-2b92af8fa11c.html

[QLBillsFan]

Good depth signing. With 2 great but aging starters and Damar in some question this in a good move. We saw in particular when we had to go to JJ at S 4 we needed to improve. 

[Airseven]

I’ve been hoping for this one and I thought Poyer precluded it. Great get!

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 hour ago, Green Lightning said:

Maybe we're getting a bum Rapp?

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

If this means Cam Lewis gets cut 

Know when to hold 'em,

Know when to fold 'em, (i.e., don't try to intercept. 🤨)

[BullBuchanan]

if he operates as our defacto #3 this year with Marlowe playing an emergency role or being a camp cut if we get additional depth, I'm all for it. Seems like he has promise and should be an upgrade over Johnson. If Hamlin does ever return, I don't think 2023 is likely.

[Airseven]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

I'm not understanding why a 2nd round pick in his 5th year, just entering his prime, would sign with a team that's already set at its two starting safety positions.

It must mean he either didn't have better options elsewhere on the market, OR...perhaps this is sort of a one year "let's see if you're the future at this position" type signing. See how he does as the third safety on the field and how he picks up the system, and then maybe he replaces Hyde next season.

Huh. I'm happy to sign safety depth, but a little bit perplexed.

Edit: Or maybe he just stinks. That's definitely a possibility.

Likely a combination of several factors you noted, also including the fact both Bills starting safeties are aging and fragile.