The Dallas Cowboys have Michael Sam on their radar. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys will bring Sam in for a physical on Wednesday. Assuming everything goes well in the physical, the Cowboys will sign Sam to become a member of their practice squad.
The undersized pass rusher was named the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss in his senior season with the Missouri Tigers.
Sam made news when he announced before the 2014 NFL Draft that he was gay. Despite the controversy and intense media attention surrounding Sam, the St. Louis Rams drafted him in the seventh round, making him the first openly gay player to ever be drafted by an NFL team.
After an up-and-down training camp and preseason, Sam did not make the final cut with the Rams. He passed through waivers, and is now available for any team to sign to their active roster or practice squad.
Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are never afraid to make a big splash in the headlines, and clearly Sam’s play with the Rams has made an impact on them. As a member of the practice squad, Sam has a long ways to go, but he is a talented player with nice upside as a pass rusher.
If he just focuses on his job with the Cowboys, Sam could definitely achieve his goal of becoming the first openly gay player in the history of the NFL.