Rams Made Deal With NFL To Draft Michael Sam To Not Film ‘Hard Knocks,’ Report Says

[philosslayer]

Source: CBS

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A longtime NFL reporter revealed Wednesday the NFL agreed to a deal where the Los Angeles Rams — then St. Louis — didn’t have to do HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series in 2014 if they drafted Michael Sam.

“Sources say NFL agreed not to have Rams on Hard Knocks in 2014 if they drafted Michael Sam,” Howard Balzer tweeted.

Sam was the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team. The Rams selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Sam was not shocked by the report.

Read more: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/03/23/michael-sam-rams-hard-knocks/

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Open sabotage by the NFL. They "picked" a team that Michael Sam count not make to draft him, therefore hurting his ability as an undrafted free agent to go to a team that would be a better fit.

[Tempest]

1. It's being denied, and Balzer is using an unnamed source

Balzer's claim doesn't pass the smell test.

"We had three seventh-round picks," Fisher said. "We drafted Michael, who was the best player on the board. And who in their right mind would think that you'd give up a draft choice to avoid doing something like that -- something that I think would benefit the organization."

"Absolutely not," Fisher told Mike & Mike when asked again if Sam was drafted to avoid "Hard Knocks." "And you know, unfortunately, something like that is really unfair to Michael. You know Michael works so hard. He was the best player on the board. He worked so hard, to try to make this look ... Obviously we had a good defensive line, but not really fair to Michael because of all the hard work he put in as well."

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15057476/jeff-fisher-denies-rams-drafted-michael-sam-avoid-hard-knocks

[bluestateguy]

2. That may or may not end up being true

What's also true is that Michael Sam was all that great of a player.

[philosslayer]

5. He WAS all that great of a player

Defensive player of the year in the best conference in college football. Yet he was never given a realistic chance.

[Kaleva]

6. Lots of college stars couldn't make the transistion to the pro level

[ShrimpPoboy]

8. Exactly. Tebow wss among the best college QBs in decades

And is a terrible NFL player. Not everyone transitions to the speed of the pros.

[Kaleva]

13. College Football Hall of Fame member Andre Ware couldn't make 3rd string in the NFL

[Drahthaardogs]

10. Tim Tebow

Eric Crouch, Gino Toretti, Maurice Clarett, and on and on

Sam is a tweener, not big enough for a true 4-3 DE and not nearly fast enough to play a 3-4 DE/OLB. There are plenty of great college players whose game does not translate into the pros. Sam was one of them.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

15. A great player who in your OP you said wasn't good enough....

....to make the fucking Rams.

You really are a piece of work.

[Calista241]

3. I have the impression that some teams would sell their soul for a pass rush.

I just have trouble believing that teams would turn him down solely because he was gay.

In the last 100 years, sports teams have been pioneers of social change. Baseball teams didn't have any issue playing Jackie Robinson, and that was in the 50's at the height of Jim Crow. Warren Moon was one of the first black quarterbacks, and he played back in the 70's and 80's.

[Drahthaardogs]

11. Look at Von Miller or Khalil Mack

Two young guys with elite pass rush ability. The OT in the NFL are running 7.0 second cone drills, amazing feet on 300 lbs men. Sam does not have that kind of outside speed and he never could bend. Shane Ray is way faster than Sam but h e also lacks the bend. He did okay but he is also no Von Miller

[DinahMoeHum]

4. Probably just as well that Michael Sam no longer plays football.

Last edited Thu Mar 24, 2016, 06:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Given what we are now learning about brain injuries and CTE, at least he'll enter middle age with his brain and body intact - unlike a number of NFL players today.

[Botany]

7. "They "picked" a team that Michael Sam count not make to draft him.

Sam could not make either the Rams, the Cowboys, or the CFL's Montreal Alouettes
because he was too small to play D-line and too slow to play linebacker.

He couldn't even make the Rams or Cowboys' practice squads.

[ShrimpPoboy]

9. If another team had wanted him they had seven earlier draft rounds to do it

I'm not buying this sabotage theory

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Sabotage?

That makes no logical sense.

The fact is he was on everyone's draft board around that point of the draft and the Rams took him. They didn't need to be convinced, and btw, many, many 7th round draft picks don't make the NFL. Is there a conspiracy to get all of them drafted to a team they can't make.

Also, you do realize the Rams weren't that good the prior year, right? So, if he can't make one of the mediocre or lesser team, exactly which team would he have made?

Lastly, the attention he got by being drafted was less intense than being on Hard Knocks? That's just silly. They didn't avoid attention and scrutiny by inviting attention and scrutiny.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

14. WTF are you babbling about

The story is specious and he was well on his way to not being drafted anyway. He bombed out in CFL for God's sake.