Broncos Bring Back Safety For Another Workout After Release

The Denver Broncos have moved closer to bringing back safety Taylor Rapp, who was signed last month and then released but has had another tryout with the club, according to a report from Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post that referenced the NFL’s transaction wire. 

The sequence is unusual, as the Broncos are trying to manipulate their practice squad and the availability of certain players after roster cuts last Sunday. Denver has been one of the most closely watched teams in the NFL after their 14-3 season, so it’s tough to protect the players they’re trying to keep from winding up elsewhere. 

Coach Sean Payton said after the preseason schedule was concluded that there was a “better than good” chance that Rapp would end up re-signing with the Broncos  after needing “a little time at home,” although no one knows quite what that means at this point. 

The caveat is that no signing has been finalized by Friday’s waiver wire deadline, so that part is a bit of a mystery as well. Rapp could rejoin the team as either as a member of the practice squad or on the 53-man roster, per Gabriel.  

The Broncos have four out of a maximum six vested veterans on their 17-member practice squad, so they’d have to waive a player, but that player would not have to be a veteran. That makes the math tricky, which could be a part of the machinations that are happening here.

Payton and the Broncos do like the player. That much is known, given that they’ve played against him when Rapp was with the Buffalo Bills. 

“It was early, but here’s what we know: We’ve played against him,” Payton added when Rapp was released. “He’s smart, which is a great trait to have as a safety. He’s a good tackler. He can play down over the slot. He’s got versatility.”

The coach’s exact quote about the timeline goes as follows, according to Gabriel: Rapp “needs a little time at home, and we completely get what he needs. There’s a good chance, better than good chance that — I know how he felt being here — so I think sooner or later (him re-signing with the Broncos) is going to happen.

“But this obviously took precedence, so just leave it at that.”

Denver kept five safeties on the final 53 man roster, with those being starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones and reserves Devon Key, JL Skinner and Tycen Anderson. But Key, Skinner and Anderson also do double duty on special teams, so Rapp would add a layer of depth.