The St. Louis Rams have finalized their 10-man practice squad, and Michael Sam didn’t make the cut. Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team, performed well during the preseason but was stuck on a team where the defensive side of the ball seemed pretty well stacked.
Sam survived the Rams’ first roster cut in the preseason but was let go as St. Louis made its final decisions for the 53-man roster. Considering his good preseason performance, Sam seemed to have a good chance to make the 10-man practice squad.
However, considering St. Louis’ various injuries, it wasn’t unexpected to see the St. Louis Rams leave Michael Sam off practice squad lineups. The Rams currently expect several players to be to out of action for a few weeks.
In fact, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, who certainly seemed pro-Sam through the preseason and even after the defensive end was cut, essentially attributed Sam’s practice squad omission to injuries.
“The practice squad is heavily dependent on what you do in other positions,” Fisher told reporters. “It’s well noted that [cornerback] Trumaine [Johnson is] going to be down for a few weeks, [offensive lineman] Barrett [Jones] is going to be down for a few weeks. We may have to go heavy in the other positions. … We’ve got five linebackers, for example; we need linebackers on the practice squad.”
So who is on the Rams’ practice squad? Linebacker Denicos Allen, wide receiver Emory Blake, safety Christian Bryant, defensive tackle Matt Conrath, safety Matt Daniels, quarterback Garrett Gilbert, offensive tackle Sean Hooey, linebacker Kevin Reddick, wide receiver Justin Veltung and offensive guard Brandon Washington.
Coach Fisher wasn’t kidding about the Rams’ need for linebackers. Of the 10 men on the practice squad, two of them, Allen and Reddick, weren’t even part of St. Louis’ training camp.
Sam, a former University of Missouri All-American and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year with Jadeveon Clowney, was released by the Rams on August 30.
Because Sam wasn’t picked-up on waivers after being cut Saturday or Sunday, he is now free to sign with any NFL team. Any bets on where he’ll end up? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
