Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of severe help on defense after allowing the most yards in franchise history last season. After suffering personnel losses in free agency, and some tough injuries in training camp, the Cowboys badly needed some more help.
The team made headlines by signing Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL player, to their practice squad. Sam was was one of the final cuts of the St. Louis Rams. Despite all of the attention, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett insists that the signing was strictly about football via Pro Football Talk:
This is about football. We evaluated him as a football player and felt like he could help us as a football player. We want to see what he can do. Our attention and focus is on football. It’s on getting ready for the 49ers. That’s the culture that we have around here, that’s the culture that we continue to have.
It is hard to argue that point seeing as how the Cowboys have a serious need on the defensive line, especially at end. Currently the Cowboys stand to start George Selvie and Jeremy Mincey at defensive end, an underwhelming pair to say the least.
Sam was selected by the Rams, to much fanfare, in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. However, the Rams have one of the deepest defensive lines in the NFL, and the numbers game resulted in Sam being released, despite totaling three sacks and 11 tackles in an impressive preseason.
Coincidentally, the Cowboys had three selections in the seventh round, including the pick right before Sam was selected, and passed on him each time. But with Anthony Spencer not healthy, and second-round pick Demarcus Lawrence out eight weeks, things have changed in Dallas.
