At press time, Michael Sam is unemployed, and that is a shame. The rookie defensive end was officially cut by the St. Louis Rams on Saturday, and he was not signed to the team’s practice squad.
Considering his preseason performance (three sacks, 10 tackles, and one assist), 31 other 53-player rosters in the NFL, and 10-man practice squads, it seemed as though Sam had a future somewhere in the NFC or AFC.
The fact that he's without a team should have NFL commissioner Roger Goodell alarmed. Was Tony Dungy right? Is he too much of a distraction? Or is the NFL simply afraid of having an openly gay player on the field?
The Montreal Alouettes have contacted Sam about joining the Canadian Football League, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport. At press time, Sam and his representatives had not responded to the offer. If I were Sam or his agent, I’d give the NFL as much time as needed to come to its senses. Hopefully, it's just a matter of time before a team signs Sam to at least a practice squad.
By the way, this year, the NFL increased the number of players on practice squads from eight to 10. Yet last year's co-defensive player of the year in the powerful SEC was not offered a spot on any of the league's 32 teams.
According to NFL.com, 12 players had at least 2½ sacks. Sam had three. Ten of the 12 players are on active rosters, and linebacker Cordarro Law was signed to the San Diego Chargers’ practice squad. In announcing Sam's release, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher repeatedly said, “It was a football decision.”
Before the 2014 NFL Draft in May, I suggested that if the Dallas Cowboys are truly America’s team, then the franchise should draft Sam. Pundits are warning Cowboys fans that the team will have one of the worst defenses in the history of the NFL, beginning with its defensive line of castoffs and underachieving draft picks. If any team could use a young guy who can rush the passer, it's the Cowboys.
I bristle at comparisons between Sam and Jackie Robinson. I think there's a significant difference in the entry of the two men into professional sports. Robinson was destined to play in the majors, because the Brooklyn Dodgers were going to make sure it happened. Robinson first proved he was an excellent player in a season with a minor-league team in Montreal. It would be ridiculous for Sam to have to play in Montreal to prove he belongs in the NFL; most coaches and GMs already know he's skilled enough to at least be on a practice squad.
Why is Sam jobless? The NFL needs to answer that question. It most likely has nothing to do with “football decisions.”
