Taylor Rapp is officially back.
The veteran safety signed to the Broncos practice squad on Monday, marking his return a little less than two weeks after he was released to attend to a personal matter.
Rapp was originally signed Aug. 20 to provide veteran depth at safety behind starters Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga. However, he practiced only once and was released six days later. Head coach Sean Payton said at the time that Rapp needed to spend some time at home, that the team was supportive of that and that he expected Rapp would return “sooner than later.”
Turns out, that meant 12 days.
Rapp, who worked out again for the Broncos on Friday, was back on the practice field with the Broncos on Monday as Denver prepares for its season opener Sept. 14 at Kansas City.
Rapp has played seven seasons in the NFL, beginning with four for the Los Angeles Rams and the past three in Buffalo. He’s started 72 games and appeared in 93. Last year, he started the first six games for the Bills before a knee injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.
“He’s a veteran. He’s very smart. He’s been on great defenses,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said after Rapp signed the first time. “I think (Payton) and (general manager George Paton), they do a great job of acquiring veterans that have been part of great culture and winning defenses and winning teams. He’s that. He fit right in.
“He’s smart. He can make plays on the ball. He can cover. He can blitz. He’s tough. So he was my kind of guy.”
By starting out on the practice squad with Denver, Rapp has a chance to spend the next few weeks getting into football shape after missing essentially all of training camp.
“It wasn’t like us pounding the table, ‘We need a safety.'” Payton said when Rapp first signed with Denver in August. “It was, ‘Hey, this player’s available,’ and letap work him out and sign him if possible. So I’m glad he’s here. We’ve had experience playing against him. He has real good football instincts and awareness that serves you well at that position.
“So I think it was more availability than necessity, if that makes sense.”
In addition to Jones and Hufanga, Denver has reserves JL Skinner, Devon Key and Tycen Anderson on the 53-man roster plus rookie Miles Scott on the practice squad.
To create a spot on the practice squad, the Broncos waived back-up long snapper and undrafted rookie Luke Basso.
