Michael Sam’s bid for the history books was most likely delayed Saturday when the Rams released the rookie defensive end as part of the NFL’s final cutdown for the regular season.
Sam was the first openly gay player in NFL history to be drafted when he was taken in the seventh round last May. He still could be the first openly gay player to make an NFL regular-season roster, but it probably won’t be with St. Louis.
Sam will now go through waivers and can be claimed by any team before the Monday deadline. If the former Missouri standout clears waivers, the Rams could re-sign him to their practice squad.
Sam was cut despite totaling three sacks and 11 tackles in the preseason, including a takedown of rookie Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel that Sam celebrated by flashing Manziel’s famous money sign.
The Rams are loaded along their defensive line, and it appears Sam simply caught up in a numbers game.
His sexuality was never an issue with the team, as evidenced by the angry reaction from coach Jeff Fisher and teammate Chris Long to an ESPN report (which the network later apologized for) on Sam’s showering habits.
“I was pulling for Mike, but it just didn’t work out,” said Fisher, who added that it was an “easy” decision because of the Rams’ depth. “Mike’s got the ability. Mike played well. He has the ability to play some place. It’s got to be the right place.”
Sam was the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season but fell to the bottom of the draft more because of concerns about his playing ability than his sexuality.
Sam is considered by scouts to be a “tweener” — too small to play defensive end and too slow to play outside linebacker because of the pass-coverage responsibilities required.
Along those lines, the Rams took one look at Sam after he arrived in their camp and made him strictly a defensive end because they didn’t consider him capable of being a linebacker in the NFL.
Sam was gracious in response, thanking the Rams and the city of St. Louis for the opportunity to “allow me to show I can play at this level.” Sam also made it clear he remains undaunted by the Rams’ decision.
“I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career,” Sam wrote on Twitter. “The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I’ve always known. The journey continues.”
I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to (1/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014
show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career (2/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014
Sam told reporters after the Rams’ preseason finale last Thursday he expects to be playing somewhere in the NFL this season.
“I’m very confident I’m going to be on a team, the Rams or any other team in the NFL,” Sam said.
Other notable news from final cutdown day:
- The Saints included 12-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey and veteran receiver Robert Meachem among their final preseason roster cuts. New Orleans kept Nick Toon, son of former Jet Al Toon.
- The Bills signed veteran quarterback Kyle Orton and punter Colton Schmidt, while cutting 10 players to establish their 53-man roster.
- The Colts put NFL reigning sacks champion Robert Mathis on the reserve-suspended list, traded cornerback Marcus Burley to Seattle for a sixth-round draft pick in 2015 and put safety Delano Howell on the waived-injured list Saturday.
- The Eagles parted ways with veteran placekicker Alex Henery, the team’s fourth-round draft pick in 2011, and opted for rookie kicker Cody Parkey.
- The Bengals put quarterback AJ McCarron on the injury list Saturday as they got down to the 53-man roster limit, making the fifth-round pick ineligible to practice for the first six weeks of the season.
- The Chiefs released veteran kicker Ryan Succop, going with the undrafted Cairo Santos.
- James Harrison, a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and five-time Pro Bowler retired.
— with Associated Press