Dallas Cowboys: Is Michael Sam the right fit?

Michael Sam had a 2013 to remember; while playing for the University of Missouri he was a unanimous College Football All-American and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Defensive Player of the Year as well as First Team All-SEC honors. He then entered the NFL Draft and was selected in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams. He failed to make the Rams and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys and placed on their practice squad.

In a NFL draft that saw 25 seventh round selections, including Andre Hal, Michael Campanaro, Travis Carrie, Shamar Stephen, Randell Johnson, Storm Johnson, Brandon Watts, Beau Allen, Jabari Price, Nate Freese, Ben Gardner, Trevor Reilly, Terrence Fede, Shelby Harris, Jeff Janis, Seantrel Henderson, James Wright, Corey Nelson, Kaleb Ramsey, Charles Leno, Jonathan Dowling, Demetrius Rhaney, Ken Bishop, Tyler, Starr, Lonnie Ballentine all make active NFL rosters Sam was curiously cut by the Rams.

By all accounts Sam played well this preseason for the Rams; his three sacks placed him fourth in the NFL in that category and his eleven tackles (10 solo 1 assisted) placed him at number 138 among all NFL players. These numbers also placed him first on the Rams in sacks and fifth in tackles for a defense that was ranked thirteenth in the NFL in total defense. Good numbers on a pretty good defensive football team but not good enough for Sam to make the roster.

What I failed to mention, and wish I wouldn’t have to, is Sam is also the first openly gay man attempting to play in the NFL. Several even took to Twitter claiming the reason Sam was cut by the Rams was because of his sexual orientation. The Buffalo Bills Eric Wood even went as far as to claim that teams would avoid signing Sam in the wake of an ESPN report that Sam wasn’t showering with his teammates in training camp. Wood’s theory is now moot since Sam has signed with the Cowboys but there could be some merit in the theory Sam was cut, at least in part, by the distraction caused by his sexual orientation.

I can’t say as fact Sam was cut by the Rams because of his sexual orientation but that ill timed piece by ESPN couldn’t have helped Sam very much. Coaches in any sport hate distractions; I know because I’m a professional tennis coach and I’ve seen the effects certain unwanted distractions can have on young athletes. Even former NFL coach and analyst Tony Dungy claimed that he wouldn’t have drafted Sam because of the media attention that would come with him. Those are strong words coming from someone well respected in the league.

I took the long way around to get to what this article is really about and that’s the future of Michael Sam in the NFL.

First off Sam demonstrated he can compete in the NFL. His numbers may have been against second and third stringers but he still got the job done when given the chance. It’s not Sam’s fault the Rams are deep at defensive end; when given the chance he did what he was asked to do and did it well enough to at least earn a spot with the Dallas Cowboys.

Secondly, and this should be obvious but Sam needs to be on a team that actually needs him. The Dallas Cowboys are a perfect fit for Sam. The Cowboys ranked thirtieth this preseason in team defense registering only five sacks this preseason. Defensive end George Selvie and free agents Terrell McClain and Henry Melton are all banged up and rookie DeMarcus Lawrence is out for at least eight weeks with a broken foot so there is room for Sam if he can learn and adjust to the 4-3 scheme employed by the Cowboys.

Thirdly, and this is a biggie, but being on a team that knows how to deal with distractions is essential for Sam’s success and there is no better team at doing just that than the Dallas Cowboys. Owner/General Manager Jerry Jones is a walking talking distraction and QB Tony Romo and sometimes controversial wide receiver Dez Bryant have been known to cause a distraction or two themselves so whatever chaos Sam’s sexual orientation might create shouldn’t be that much if any deterrent to the Cowboys.

So, what’s the future for Sam in the NFL? Hard to say but if Sam is to succeed in the NFL he’s in the right place with the Dallas Cowboys. They desperately need someone to rush the passer and if Sam can continue to put up the numbers he did this preseason with the Rams he should be okay. He might not ever be a star outside of the LGBT community but being an average football player in the NFL isn’t anything to sneeze at no matter what the player’s sexual orientation or even how many distractions that orientation might cause.