MMQB: Peter King - 8/11/14

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Rick Osentoski/AP
Johnny Preseason
The Manziel circus is in full swing in Cleveland, and the ringleader job might be his to lose. Plus, Michael Sam is not an alien, why the color of Week 1 was yellow and more observations with the first set of preseason games in the books
By Peter King

Here's the Rams stuff and a few tidbits(beating the Michael Sam drum as usual). If you want to read the entire article click the link.

sam.jpg

Rams DE Michael Sam didn’t make a big impact in 33 snaps against the Saints in his preseason debut. (Michael Thomas/Getty Images)
St. Louis: Michael Sam has to beat out two other contenders to make the Rams.


EARTH CITY, Mo. — Michael Sam has been one of the most famous people in America over the past six months, since he announced he would try to become the first openly gay player to win a spot on an NFL team. The Rams picked him in the seventh round of the May draft, and now, to win that spot, he’ll have to beat out two green defensive ends who are not household names in their own households: Sammy Brown, a second-year undrafted player from the University of Houston; and undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks from West Texas A&M.

That’s the football news coming out of St. Louis on Sam. The social news is better than I thought it would be. Far better. Sam’s been like wallpaper. Unnoticed, fits in well. He’s said no to every national interview request—Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, everyone—and will continue to do so, I’m told. “The only time we talk about the story,’’ Jeff Fisher said, “is when someone from the media comes in and asks about it. I can’t emphasize enough how smooth and uneventful it’s been. Mike has been great.”

“I think some people on the outside look at him like he’s some kind of alien,” Sam Bradford told me. “He’s fit in so well. He’s just a guy trying to make a football team.”

He’s managed to be one of the guys, I’m told, by not being overly sensitive. “What he’s doing,’’ said former NFL player Wade Davis, who came out as gay after his short pro career, ‘is saying, ‘Everyone knows I’m gay, and let’s not make it the secret no one talks about.’ It’s Michael Sam fitting in. I give the team lots of credit too.

When I went there after the draft to talk to the team, one player raised his hand and asked me, ‘How do we make Michael Sam comfortable on this team?’ That tells me the Rams were ready, and the league was too.’’

“I told the team if anyone wanted to talk about it, anything about it, come talk to me,’’ Fisher said. “No one has.”

The Rams made no special accommodations for Sam, and he asked for none. He has spoken to the local and national press once this summer, in a group, and then again after Friday’s game against the Saints. The most impressive of the three marginal competitors in the loss to New Orleans was the aforementioned Westbrooks, who had three tackles and two quarterback hits. Sam: one tackle, one quarterback hit, one pressure.

Sam played 33 snaps and seemed to tire near the end of the game. But he had two strong rushes, one on a fast outside move—he dropped 13 pounds to 257 in the month before camp. He needed to be faster, he thought, and so he lost weight and got a smidge quicker.

When Sam’s first game was over, he found a group of friends in the rotunda outside the Rams’ locker room—two were wearing his No. 96—and embraced them and howled, “This is the REAL DEAL!” Then, he repeated it at least four times. It was the raw excitement of a rookie who had just gotten his first taste of real, live pro football. The fact that he had just made history, as the first openly gay player in the league, was secondary in his mind all night.

“I was focusing on the guy in front of me,” he said. After the game, he was running through his mind two plays on which he thought he should have had sacks. One: He chased down New Orleans quarterback Ryan Griffin outside the pocket and got a hit on him, and another when he pulled up too soon, thinking it was a screen. Sam’s NFL debut began with about five minutes left in the first quarter, during the Rams’ second defensive series, giving him plenty of chances to prove he belongs.

The first time Sam’s name was announced over the Edward Jones Dome PA system came late in the first quarter—“Under pressure from No. 96, Michael Sam”—and a cheer rose from the crowd. Trailblazers draw more attention than your standard seventh-round pick: Sam’s jersey was the sixth-best selling in the NFL since April, and when he got off the rookie bus three hours before kickoff Friday night, he was met by a security guard and filmed by a cameraman. But his takeaway from his first NFL game was exactly what every late-round rookie is trying to prove: “I can play in this league,” he said.

Barring injury, eight St. Louis defensive linemen (Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Williams Hayes and Eugene Sims at end, Michael Brockers, Kendall Langford, Aaron Donald and Alex Carrington at tackle) are likely to make the team. Jeff Fisher is likely to keep nine defensive linemen, though depending on special-teams contributions from other spots he could keep as few as eight or as many as 10. Say it’s nine. That means Brown, the versatile Westbrooks and Sam are probably fighting for one spot on the 53-man roster. There is the eight-man practice squad that Sam could make as well, if he doesn’t earn a spot on the 53-man roster. I’d be surprised if he didn’t at least make that.

If Sam doesn’t make the practice squad, you’ll know he had a poor camp and was a non-factor on special teams. As of now, he’s slated to play one kicking team—as a wedge blocker (one of the two interior blockers) on the kickoff-return team, and he debuted there against the Saints. The fact that he lost 13 pounds to, in part, be faster for special-teams play was not lost on Rams GM Les Snead or Fisher.

Sam’s doing everything right. Now he needs a big hit on a quarterback in the final three games, or a few pressures from his lighter weight making him faster. Said Rams VP of football operations Kevin Demoff last week: “He’s got four games to prove he belongs.” Three now. Every snap’s an opportunity. Every snap for his competition is an opportunity too.
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“We don’t have any glaring holes. We do have a glaring lack of experience.”
—Les Snead, the general manager of the Rams, to me. St. Louis had the youngest roster in the NFL last season, and likely will again this year.
---------------------------

The man battling Michael Sam for a roster spot in St. Louis, West Texas A&M defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks, has a tattoo next to his left eye. It says, “Laugh now, Cry later,’’ and has a small happy face and small sad face there, tattooed forever on his face.
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London Fletcher ✔ @LFletcher59
"I can go back to rooting for the @Browns now, like I did growing up."

The ex-linebacker played 16 years for St. Louis, Buffalo and Washington before retiring after the 2013 season. On Saturday, Fletcher could root for the Browns for the first time since he was a John Carroll linebacker in the mid-90s, cheering on Bill Belichick’s old Browns.


 

DaveFan'51

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Too much attention being paid to Sam. He's just another player trying to make the team at this point!
 

moklerman

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Too much attention being paid to Sam. He's just another player trying to make the team at this point!
WAY too much. Just caught the tail end of the pregame the other night and they were focusing on him and having a long conversation about what he needs to do. Dude's a 7th rounder, right? Unless you're spectacular, you don't get talked about.
 

-X-

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Like it or not, that's what the writers think people want to know about. How's the openly gay guy doing? Will he make it?

Personally, I think the writers are overestimating how much NFL fans (both inside and outside of St Louis) care about the historical significance.
 

Thordaddy

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The Sam coverage is so voluminous IMO, because the press is out to prove a negative,which is impossible of course therefore overdone or not efforted at all.

Lemme explain,THEY are out to prove they aren't homophobic and FWIW the more they squawk and flop around about it the more I think they are hiding some of their own bigotries. IOW methinks the lady doth protest too much.
 

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He might make our practice squad....or he might get taken by the Niners as a starter....
 

RamFan503

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Like it or not, that's what the writers think people want to know about. How's the openly gay guy doing? Will he make it?
Personally, I think the writers are overestimating how much NFL fans (both inside and outside of St Louis) care about the historical significance.
^^^This

Interesting take. In thinking about it, I have to agree. Some of us are really done with all the press MS is getting but I think what is lost in all this is that - at least for me - it is largely because I don't really care more or less about him for the supposed big story of his being gay. It's football. He either plays or he doesn't. If he is one of the guys that makes our team, I will care more for that reason alone - not because he is gay. The whole thing is boring me.
 

Thordaddy

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^^^This

Interesting take. In thinking about it, I have to agree. Some of us are really done with all the press MS is getting but I think what is lost in all this is that - at least for me - it is largely because I don't really care more or less about him for the supposed big story of his being gay. It's football. He either plays or he doesn't. If he is one of the guys that makes our team, I will care more for that reason alone - not because he is gay. The whole thing is boring me.

Yeah even the hint you might be in any way prejudiced in the media is the kiss of death so they overdo going the opposite way ,which to me would be a chore and thereby breed some resentment that I couldn't be assumed to be innocent of ________________ (insert selected prejudice).

I'm rooting for Sam to make the team because if he does it'll be because he earned it and we'll have another decent pass rusher ,OTOH I'm rooting for all these guys and hope some of our low round guys make an impact .

One thing is for sure ,were not likely to forget that Mike Sam is gay with daily spoon feeding of it.
Here's betting he has the best season an openly gay player has ever had.
 

-X-

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Yeah even the hint you might be in any way prejudiced in the media is the kiss of death so they overdo going the opposite way ,which to me would be a chore and thereby breed some resentment that I couldn't be assumed to be innocent of ________________ (insert selected prejudice).
On the flip-side though, if they *don't* make a big deal out of it, they could be considered homophobes. I've seen that in action already and it's kinda stupid. "You don't think it's super awesome that a gay guy said he's a gay guy and is trying to make it in a league full of homophobes? Then you're a homophobe too!" It's a ridiculous assertion, but I've already seen people take that position (strongly).

I don't care about his lifestyle. I also don't care to read about it, because I'm not a fan of the lifestyle. So no matter what I say about it, somebody is going to attempt to decipher how I feel about the *issue* and not what I think about the player. I can't help that, and I don't care to help it either. Think what you want. I'll sleep fine either way.
 

bluecoconuts

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I don't mind the Michael Sam press, because (so far) it has shown what a great room the Rams have. A close team with strong leadership, like the article said the Rams were ready. Compared to a team like the Dolphins that seem to have leadership issues from the top down, I like the fact that the media is "forced" to take a closer look at our team, because we have a good thing going, and we are showing that on a national scale. Not just with the skill, but the intangibles. It's nice to have good stories about us, after all the crap before, the westbound and down segment on ESPN a few years ago, just rehashed lazy articles with no research. Although it's heavy on Sam, and nothing really new is coming out, eventually when the games start for real they're going to see the rest of the team too.
 

Akrasian

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I think some of this is overthinking on our part. Media types are constantly searching for something to write about that will sell papers/get internet views/whatever. This is a story that gets views - either people happy about a barrier being broken, angry about the barrier, or whatever. But it gets page hits. And note, it gets page hits WITHOUT the writer having to think up a new topic. Just like any other topic that gets written about repeatedly, it will keep on being written about because it's lazy, easy money.

There might be some PC aspects - but never underestimate a columnist's desire to make money with as little work done as possible.

BTW - be glad about the Michael Sam stories. Otherwise there would be even more Manziel stories written.
 

blue4

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Unless being gay knocks a second off your 40 time, I can't see why its a big deal. It's 2014 and no one gives a crap if he's gay.
 

yrba1

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After his first preseason outing, I hope he does make it. I couldn't careless about his sexual orientation, he'll be an excellent role player under Williams's tutelage. I look forward to utilizing him in 3-3-5 packages as a DE/OLB tweener, we just have to coach up his coverage skills.
 

LazyWinker

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That’s the football news coming out of St. Louis on Sam. The social news is better than I thought it would be. Far better. Sam’s been like wallpaper. Unnoticed, fits in well. He’s said no to every national interview request—Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, everyone—and will continue to do so, I’m told. “The only time we talk about the story,’’ Jeff Fisher said, “is when someone from the media comes in and asks about it. I can’t emphasize enough how smooth and uneventful it’s been. Mike has been great.”
Imagine how insufferable Sam would be if he did accept every national interview request.
 

ramsince62

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On the flip-side though, if they *don't* make a big deal out of it, they could be considered homophobes. I've seen that in action already and it's kinda stupid. "You don't think it's super awesome that a gay guy said he's a gay guy and is trying to make it in a league full of homophobes? Then you're a homophobe too!" It's a ridiculous assertion, but I've already seen people take that position (strongly).

I don't care about his lifestyle. I also don't care to read about it, because I'm not a fan of the lifestyle. So no matter what I say about it, somebody is going to attempt to decipher how I feel about the *issue* and not what I think about the player. I can't help that, and I don't care to help it either. Think what you want. I'll sleep fine either way.

Right, then there's the other 50% who live off soundbites, isn't that who the press is pandering too?
 

Naondave

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I'm just glad he has refused interviews and is focused on football.

Whether he makes the team or not, kid is giving it a hundred percent.

He will have earned respect either way.

I think he will play football on Sunday. Just maybe not in St. Louis.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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I will be impressed with the press when one of them asks the questions they are all afraid to ask, like, ' Who drops the soap the most in the showers?"