The St. Louis Rams cut defensive end Michael Sam on Saturday in the wake of the deadline for the team's 53-man roster. He was then left off the team's practice squad, but his services have already been called upon by Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.
Sam, the first openly gay NFL player, recorded 11 tackles and three sacks for the St. Louis Rams during the preseason, but it apparently wasn't enough for him to earn a roster spot. The co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year joined the Dallas Cowboys practice squad on Wednesday after he passed a team physical. Head coach Jason Garrett is excited for Sam's potential contribution to the team.
"We're bringing a player in we wanted to see on the practice field and got nothing but good reports about him from our people and the people in St. Louis," said Garrett, in this ESPN article. "We just want to give him a chance to come in and see if he can help our football team."
Sam's statistically solid preseason has shown he might be capable of playing on an NFL defense during the regular season and beyond. He might get than chance in Dallas, where the defensive line lost a number of players in the offseason, including DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Anthony Spencer, Jason Hatcher and Josh Brent. The starting four on the defensive line include LDE George Selvie, DT Nick Hayden, DT Henry Melton and RDE Jeremy Mincey. They aren't household names, but all have had at least five years of NFL experience.
Should one of these players go down with an injury or underperform, and Sam impresses on the practice squad, the rookie could make his way onto the 53-man roster during the regular season. Selvie is already dealing with a shoulder injury that may force him to miss week one; Melton hasn't played since Week 3 last season; and injuries to backups Terrell McClain (sprained ankle) and DeMarcus Lawrence (broken foot) could pave the way for Sam's debut.
Sam's focus is solely on playing football. He's not concerned with the excessive media attention regarding various issues. He's putting this weekend behind him and plans to move on.
"It's been a roller coaster this past week but I'm happy where I'm at now," said Sam in this Daily Mail article. "I'm just looking forward to being a Cowboy, my focus is on making the team. It has all happened so quickly, but it's exciting, I just wanna get back to playing football you know."
You can read more about Michael Sam's arrival in Dallas via this Dallas Morning News article.
