The Los Angeles Rams threw a flyer out there for Nyzier Fourqurean. The former Badger was screwed last season by the NCAA, and while initially allowed to play for the Badgers, was eventually barred, and the legal battle lasted the entire season. Well, the Rams tried him out and signed him as a UDFA, yet he was an incredible long shot.
It's a lot to make a 53-man roster as an undrafted player, and while it happens around the league every season, the odds are stacked against you. While Fourqurean is still on the outside looking in for the final roster cut for the Rams, he's closer than anyone would have ever imagined, and the Rams are clearly letting him prove himself.
Fourqurean has played 75 snaps for the Rams in the two weeks of the preseason. Each week, he has shown something to Los Angeles. Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had four tackles. Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints, he had another four tackles but also added a forced fumble and a pass defense.
Nyzier Fourqurean is battling against 3 other cornerbacks for 1 roster spot
Related: Wisconsin UDFA Tracker: How all 12 Badgers fared in NFL Preseason Week 2
His play and his usage show the Rams truly have him on the cut line. He's getting a chance to prove that he can beat the other guys fighting for the same spot. According to the Los Angeles Times, the battle for the final cornerback spot is between three players: Zech McPhearson, Nyzier Fourqurean, and Al’Zillion Hamilton.
There's some good news/bad news for Fourqurean here. Hamilton has seen 108 snaps, and while you could argue he has done less than Fourqurean, the Rams clearly are giving him more chances. McPhearson, on the other hand, has only seen 20 total snaps this preseason. So the battle may be down to two players and not three.
Yet, the other bad news for Fourqurean's chances is that in ESPN's 53-man roster projection, none of these three make the roster. ESPN has the Rams bringing only five cornerbacks onto the roster, which would ice out this whole competition.
So, there's a lot going on, and that's the way it is with roster cuts. It's hard to know exactly how the team is thinking and what they value. There's also the whole "can we slip X player into the practice squad" strategy that plays out right now too. For example, if they love what they've seen from Fourqurean, but need his roster spot for now. Could they slide him to the practice squad? Only if they don't think another team will swoop in and take him.
Fourqurean will have one more opportunity to prove he's an NFL player for the Rams, and that's tomorrow (Thursday) at 9 pm CT against the Los Angeles Chargers. That final game will be an interesting one to watch for Fourqurean's chances. But you may also want to watch Darryl Peterson III, who is also trying to impress the Rams and make the team.
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