Bills resigning Rapp

[Simon]

19 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Back in March I agreed with the emphasized critique: Rapp WAS wild. (see next quote)

 

 

Since he's donned the Guardian Cap, he seems to have turned an unpredictable weakness -- being an irresponsible, head-down friendly fire scud missile -- into a relative strength, with more controlled and impactful physicality. (see next quote) Dude was a wildcard, but did flash a bit as 2023 went along. Now he's kind of awesome, and I don't think a comparison to a younger Poyer is at all off base. And remember, Poyer had Hyde out there with him for years. 

 

 

Love to see it. Difficult play to pull off these days, to be honest. Props to Rapp for harnessing his violence.

 

 

Reminds me a lot of Poyer with respect to style and strengths. More of a strong safety for sure. 

 

 

I don't remember who they were playing but there was a game in the latter part of last season where Rapp suddenly started playing with his head up and eyes open; it was a huge instantaneous improvement that felt like it came out of nowhere but kind of showed what he could become.

It made me feel like Hyde had been coaching him to keep his head up all year and for some reason it finally became a habit for him and he's been very good ever since.

[3rdand12]

19 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yea I suppose my frustration is that given the relatively low premium on the safety position the Bills have spent a 2nd round pick, and got better than anticipated play out of a lower end free agent and yet because their skillsets are so similar I kind of feel like they still need to commit more resources to the group there in 2025.

 So are you meaning Veteran player , et resources ?

 Bills are doing both methods drafting and developing while also bolstering with starter veterans.

Wish i knew more about Bishop honestly for a better opinion.

 Rapp is going to be a Bills for a few ,as long as he can remain healthy as he has. Maybe a nice draft pick would do well to pair with Bishop and balance the FS/SS  roles in a couple years.

McD has done well making his defense work for/with the players. Look pretty synced generally 

 

[3rdand12]

7 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

I don't remember who they were playing but there was a game in the latter part of last season where Rapp suddenly started playing with his head up and eyes open; it was a huge instantaneous improvement that felt like it came out of nowhere but kind of showed what he could become.

It made me feel like Hyde had been coaching him to keep his head up all year and for some reason it finally became a habit for him and he's been very good ever since.

Coachable player , for sure. I did not notice that detail 🧐

But did notice how he has matured .. enough in his smarter physical play . I read he was game day smart and why they picked him up 

 

[GunnerBill]

9 hours ago, 3rdand12 said:

 So are you meaning Veteran player , et resources ?

 Bills are doing both methods drafting and developing while also bolstering with starter veterans.

Wish i knew more about Bishop honestly for a better opinion.

 Rapp is going to be a Bills for a few ,as long as he can remain healthy as he has. Maybe a nice draft pick would do well to pair with Bishop and balance the FS/SS  roles in a couple years.

McD has done well making his defense work for/with the players. Look pretty synced generally 

 

 

I'd got the vet route for a free safety, yes. I think Hamlin is a free agent in any event but we should be upgrading there even though the kid has played as well as anyone coukd have expected.

[gonzo1105]

8 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I'd got the vet route for a free safety, yes. I think Hamlin is a free agent in any event but we should be upgrading there even though the kid has played as well as anyone coukd have expected.

I don’t believe they have any intention of replacing Rapp in the starting lineup imo. I suspect ideally Bishop slots for Hamlin and thru draft a safety in the mid rounds while signing a veteran backup who can play in a pinch 

[GunnerBill]

Just now, gonzo1105 said:

I don’t believe they have any intention of replacing Rapp in the starting lineup imo. I suspect ideally Bishop slots for Hamlin and thru draft a safety in the mid rounds while signing a veteran backup who can play in a pinch 

 

Nor do I. But I dunno about Bishop as the free safety. I mean maybe.... but if you are going that route you better have a serviceable vet in reserve in case he doesn't pick it up. 

[DrDawkinstein]

17 hours ago, Simon said:

 

I don't remember who they were playing but there was a game in the latter part of last season where Rapp suddenly started playing with his head up and eyes open; it was a huge instantaneous improvement that felt like it came out of nowhere but kind of showed what he could become.

It made me feel like Hyde had been coaching him to keep his head up all year and for some reason it finally became a habit for him and he's been very good ever since.

 

I feel like it was around the Chargers game, and then it really clicked in the final game of the season against Miami when he single-handedly ended the game with back-to-back plays on Hill.

 

I'd have to go back and look, but believe he injured a couple of our guys with friendly fire in that Cowboys game, and coaches mustve got on him because it was a pretty big improvement after that.

[Utah John]

Kudos to Beane and McDermott for adding the right players and getting them working together.  Rapp, Douglas, and Benford -- all much better than we had any right to expect.  But then again, you could say the same thing about Poyer and Hyde, neither of whom shone very brightly on previous teams but who became absolute stars here.  

 

Not all wins, of course.  There sits Elam, a first rounder who can't get on the field.  There stands Hamlin, who is just as prone to being a step too slow and a yard too far out of position, as he always was.  

 

I was a big proponent of drafting Bishop, going back to last January or February, and I'm disappointed he hasn't dislodged Hamlin yet.  Not sure what the problem is.  He missed a lot of playing time in training camp with an injury, but come on.  

[DrDawkinstein]

3 minutes ago, Utah John said:

Kudos to Beane and McDermott for adding the right players and getting them working together.  Rapp, Douglas, and Benford -- all much better than we had any right to expect.  But then again, you could say the same thing about Poyer and Hyde, neither of whom shone very brightly on previous teams but who became absolute stars here.  

 

Not all wins, of course.  There sits Elam, a first rounder who can't get on the field.  There stands Hamlin, who is just as prone to being a step too slow and a yard too far out of position, as he always was.  

 

I was a big proponent of drafting Bishop, going back to last January or February, and I'm disappointed he hasn't dislodged Hamlin yet.  Not sure what the problem is.  He missed a lot of playing time in training camp with an injury, but come on.  

 

WRT Hamlin and Bishop, I'll refer you to your own statement in bold.

 

Poyer couldnt even crack the starting line-up on Cleveland teams that were going 0-16 and 2-14.

 

Hyde had a bit of a better showing in Green Bay, but was still being bounced around between Nickel and Safety, and couldnt lock down a spot.

 

It took Poyer 5 full seasons in the NFL (1 of those with the Bills even) before he became "All-Pro Po". Hyde needed those 4-5 seasons too.

 

Hamlin is just wrapping up year 4 and has shown major steps in development this year. Bishop still has a lot of time to develop according to these other timelines.

[Utah John]

12 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

WRT Hamlin and Bishop, I'll refer you to your own statement in bold.

 

Poyer couldnt even crack the starting line-up on Cleveland teams that were going 0-16 and 2-14.

 

Hyde had a bit of a better showing in Green Bay, but was still being bounced around between Nickel and Safety, and couldnt lock down a spot.

 

It took Poyer 5 full seasons in the NFL (1 of those with the Bills even) before he became "All-Pro Po". Hyde needed those 4-5 seasons too.

 

Hamlin is just wrapping up year 4 and has shown major steps in development this year. Bishop still has a lot of time to develop according to these other timelines.

OK, fair point, some safeties need time to learn.  But you can't learn speed.  Hamlin can't cover ground as fast as is needed sometimes.  

[Sierra Foothills]

On 3/8/2024 at 11:21 AM, ngbills said:

Bingo. Not just the wasted $ and what player that could help sign but the lost opportunity to develop a younger player. Look at last year, when guys got hurt we were out bring in Dean Marlowe again. How do we not have capable young guys around? 

 

"Lost the opportunity to develop a younger player?"

 

Rapp is just 26 years old.

 

The other thing about Taylor Rapp that many seem to have forgotten (or never knew) is that he was a 2nd round pick (61st overall).

 

Furthermore he was taken in 2019, the year our top 4 picks were Ed Oliver (9), Cody Ford (38), Devin Singletary (74) and Dawson Knox (96).

 

That was also the year that Dallas took Connor McGovern in the 3rd round (90).

 

Because of the free agent signings of Rapp and McGovern, 2019 ended up being a good draft year for us.

 

On 3/6/2024 at 4:58 PM, GASabresIUFan said:

By the way it's "re-signing" not resigning.  Resigning is something Sabres GM Kevyn Adams should do.

 

Not only are  they not the same thing... they're virtually opposites.

 

On 3/7/2024 at 3:26 PM, Trust The Process said:

The biggest complaint that I have with Beane is he historically mismanages cap space. The bottom of the roster, especially the Special Teams, gets paid too much. He also hands out too many mid-tier player contracts. For example, instead of paying big free agent dollars on one elite or Pro Bowl level DT, he'll sign 2 good DT's for around the same money the great one received. Since Beane got hired, for the most part, has failed miserably at signing Free Agents along the DL and at spending premium draft picks along the DL within the first 3 rounds of the draft which is where you find blue chip prospects and foundational pieces of your team, and where the margin of error must be at its lowest because precious cap dollars are invested in those picks. Every mistake is multiplied. 

 

Another thing that I noticed is Beane is an impatient person. Want proof? He traded up 4 times in the past 6 drafts, and signs an above average amount of players before the beginning of Free Agency. He needs to relax and let things play out and let things/opportunities come to him. He needs to improve at reading the draft board in the first 3 rounds and at reading the Free Agent pool. Want proof? 2020 was the year we traded for Diggs, and that was the year the NFL Draft was LOADED with WR's. And, despite it being a strong receiver draft, what did Beane choose to do? He chose to trade our first-round pick (No. 22 overall), a 2020 fifth-round pick, a 2020 sixth-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick for Diggs and a 7th round pick. Pick number 22 overall ended up being Justin Jefferson. Beane panicked, he didn't trust himself enough to hit on a receiver in the draft instead. 

 

 

Perhaps then you should change your name?

 

On 12/3/2024 at 3:45 PM, Ralonzo said:

I thought it was Funk they were thinking about.

 

On 12/3/2024 at 3:46 PM, Don Otreply said:

Actually it’s R&B…, 

 

Actually it's R&D.

 

😄

 

Edited December 6 by Sierra Foothills

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Rapp had been a pleasant surprise this year. He’s been more under control lately.

 

 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

20 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Nor do I. But I dunno about Bishop as the free safety. I mean maybe.... but if you are going that route you better have a serviceable vet in reserve in case he doesn't pick it up. 

Serviceable vets name in reserve might just be Damar Hamlin. I don’t know that we will need to break the back to keep Damar. I also don’t see him as the kind of player that is going to pout should he go back to the bench.

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

I'm a big fan of these threads.

 

Bernard has a good one too. People were SURE we wasted a premium pick.

[JerseyBills]

29 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

Serviceable vets name in reserve might just be Damar Hamlin. I don’t know that we will need to break the back to keep Damar. I also don’t see him as the kind of player that is going to pout should he go back to the bench.

Ya, unless they like Bishops development,  also give Rapp a raise, my man is a playmaker at S. 

[TheWeatherMan]

6 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

"Lost the opportunity to develop a younger player?"

 

Rapp is just 26 years old.

 

The other thing about Taylor Rapp that many seem to have forgotten (or never knew) is that he was a 2nd round pick (61st overall).

 

Furthermore he was taken in 2019, the year our top 4 picks were Ed Oliver (9), Cody Ford (38), Devin Singletary (74) and Dawson Knox (96).

 

That was also the year that Dallas took Connor McGovern in the 3rd round (90).

 

Because of the free agent signings of Rapp and McGovern, 2019 ended up being a good draft year for us.

 

 

Not only are  they not the same thing... they're virtually opposites.

 

 

Perhaps then you should change your name?

 

 

 

Actually it's R&D.

 

😄

 

To better prove your point(s), I suggest researching the difference between sentences and paragraph usage.  
 

I would think that FA additions don’t count toward the success of your draft class.  If so, Mario Williams would be our best draft pick ever because we got the #1 pick in the draft without using any draft capital. 

Edited December 6 by TheWeatherMan

[DrDawkinstein]

1 minute ago, TheWeatherMan said:

I would think that FA additions don’t count toward the success of your draft class.  If so, Mario Williams would be our best draft pick ever because we got the #1 pick in the draft without using any draft capital. 

 

We also had Reggie Bush and Vince Young on the roster, meaning we got the #1, #2, and #3 picks of the 2006 draft

[TheWeatherMan]

1 minute ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

We also had Reggie Bush and Vince Young on the roster, meaning we got the #1, #2, and #3 picks of the 2006 draft

Totally forgot about that…wild.

[Jauronimo]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

We also had Reggie Bush and Vince Young on the roster, meaning we got the #1, #2, and #3 picks of the 2006 draft

13 games, 12 carries, negative 3 yards, and 1 TD.  Reggie must have run that 1 TD in backwards?

[Sierra Foothills]

6 hours ago, TheWeatherMan said:

To better prove your point(s), I suggest researching the difference between sentences and paragraph usage.  
 

I would think that FA additions don’t count toward the success of your draft class.  If so, Mario Williams would be our best draft pick ever because we got the #1 pick in the draft without using any draft capital. 

 

Exactly what I said is this: "Because of the free agent signings of Rapp and McGovern, 2019 ended up being a good draft year for us."

 

I suggest researching the difference between sentences and paragraph use.