Rapp, LB Landis Durham–2 standouts v. Raiders

An undrafted rookie seizes his moment as depth players get experience in Rams’ preseason opener

Vincent Bonsignore

https://theathletic.com/1130109/2019/08/11/an-undrafted-rookie-seizes-his-moment-as-depth-players-get-experience-in-rams-preseason-opener/

OAKLAND, Calif. — A moment of clarity arrived for Landis Durham in the early hours of Saturday morning in Napa, Calif., of all places. It’s about as far away as you can imagine from Plano, Texas, the hometown of the Rams’ outside linebacker. But when you’re an undrafted rookie free agent just trying to open enough eyes to make a team, you don’t quibble about logistics when powerful forces descend on your behalf.

So Durham didn’t argue or question or doubt the confidence he awoke with at the Rams’ hotel ahead of their preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders.

“When I woke up this morning I just had a feeling,” Durham said hours later, trying to find the right words to explain it.

He didn’t have to, really. The seven tackles he came up with Saturday night against the Raiders, including a sack he’s been dreaming about his whole life, were more than enough clarification.

Saturday night was not a particularly good one for the Rams in a sluggish 14-3 loss to the Raiders. It wasn’t exactly set up to be, given Sean McVay’s decision to play only backup players, except for two projected defensive starters. He wasn’t trying to win as much as he was trying to keep his key players healthy, and in that regard it was a successful night.

On the other hand, while the scoreboard took a back seat to the safety of his starters, there were opportunities for a bunch of young Rams to state their cases as backups and special-teams contributors and even rotational pieces this year.

Durham among them.

He woke up with an inkling that something big was in store. By nightfall, he had seized his moment as one of the Rams’ defensive bright spots. Time will tell what it means for his future, but given how Justin Lawler recently went down with a foot injury and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has been banged up throughout training camp, an opportunity has opened for a job behind outside linebackers Dante Fowler Jr., Clay Matthews and Samson Ebukam.

Durham, with his size (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) and speed and obvious nose for the ball, planted himself firmly on the Rams’ radar Saturday with his performance.

“I thought he did a nice job tonight. You felt him on a couple of plays,” said McVay, who also pointed out Josh Carraway and Trevon Young, both of whom are in the mix at outside linebacker,

“With Lawler being down it’s really a good look to see who establishes themselves as that fourth outside linebacker behind Clay, Dante and Samson. There’s going to be some good things to look at from that group.”

Durham was still trying to process everything afterward.

“It’s crazy man, just being in this moment,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been playing football for my whole life. To come in here in this historic stadium — you know, a football field and a baseball field at the same time — that shit’s crazy. I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

“There’s a lot I still have to work on. I look forward to getting back to meetings and everything, watching film. But It was a whole bunch of fun out there.”

…

Taylor Rapp shines

The Rams selected safety Taylor Rapp in the second round last April out of Washington and envisioned him making an immediate impact as a sub-package rotational piece.

He has not disappointed thus far in training camp, as he quickly showed up as a solid cover safety on tight ends and running backs and as a run stopper when deployed closer to the line of scrimmage. Rapp has looked poised and confident with each new responsibility the Rams have put on his plate, and by last week he was getting first-team reps in some nickel and dime packages.

“His last week has been outstanding,” McVay said. “I think he’s really getting the confidence where he knows exactly what’s going on and is able to make the seamless adjustments with whatever defensive call that we’ve activated and it’s been really, we’re seeing the guy we loved so much watching tape at Washington and he’s really starting to play where he’s not thinking, he’s just reacting, and that’s what makes him a special player.”

It’s no surprise, then, that Rapp had a strong first game, being exactly where he needed to be in pass coverage and run support while knocking a pass away and coming up with an open-field tackle to deny the Raiders first downs on a pair of third-down plays.

In both instances, his awareness of situational football was apparent.

“It’s very important. I learned that when I first got to college,” he said. “It just elevates your game so much just being aware of down, distance and sticks. All that stuff. Concepts that can come out of different down and distances.”