Prior to this year's training camp, many had envisioned the potential of a three-headed monster at the cornerback position, featuring himself, Joey Porter Jr., and Cory Trice Jr., who missed his entire rookie season after tearing his ACL during training camp last August.
The last few weeks have seen Trice Jr.'s stock rise in a big way, as his play on the field earned him first-team reps during training camp, and his strong performance against the Texans helped him rise on the depth chart.
In the case of Rush, much of his offseason has been clouded in uncertainty. Despite having many opportunities to prove himself worthy of a greater role, his erratic play during training camp saw his position slip in favor of Trice Jr. and rookie Ryan Watts. Though he has not been mentioned much, his subpar play has nearly made him a forgotten man.
In the two preseason games he's played, however, Rush has shown some signs of life. In their loss to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, he recorded a timely pass breakup on third down, which served as a reminder of his playmaking abilities. He finished the game with an overall grade of 75.9 according to Pro Football Focus.
In reality, his body of work during the offseason has raised doubts about his roster place. Given the team's high regard for Beanie Bishop Jr. and the rise of Thomas Graham Jr., special teams will probably be his best chance of staying on the roster. Rush is running out of opportunities to win the team's favor with just one preseason game left.
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