6 surprise omissions from LA Rams first depth chart

Burgess

Okay.  Taylor Rapp is the other starting safety opposite Jordan Fuller, and Terrell Burgess is the odd man out. Clearly, this is a coach’s decision, and we are all just along for the ride. But even though I understand the decision, I cannot pretend that I’m excited by it. To prove our point, we called Taylor Rapp the winner of the competition for a starting safety role over a month ago. That was based on a variety of reasons that we recommend you check out when you can.

But in a pass-hungry league, we believe that the Rams defense is simply better served with Terrell Burgess in the secondary. He is a headsier player, a defensive back who is not all about thumping and banging and propelling his body into the offensive player. Rapp likes the big hit, which Raheem Morris no doubt enjoys, but he is too sporadic.

In each of the past two seasons, Rapp has been ultimately responsible for breakdowns in communication that have resulted in giving up huge plays. Playing alongside Jalen Ramsey requires a team mindset when defending the pass. Jordan Fuller understands that. Terrell Burgess understands that. At times, Taylor Rapp does not seem to understand that.

Perhaps that was the edge that allowed Brandon Staley to deliver such a great version of the Rams’ defense in 2020. He certainly favored safeties over linebackers on the roster. He promoted rookie Jordan Fuller over returning starter Taylor Rapp. Would he have made a different decision over starting Terrell Burgess over Taylor Rapp? We may never know.