Zach Moore or Michael Sam?

Another tick in the box for Moore: look at him, he carries that 269lbs extremely well and could, if required, easily add another 15-20lbs and become a DT.

Armchair Quarterback said:

Sounds like you're an anti - Neanderthal.

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The books of history have never been kind to them have they!

I believe Sam was lucky to be drafted at all. Both his physical attributes and his stinker of a combine performance highlight his problems. Unless his sexuality is relevant to those failings, and it isn't, he earned a low draft position. Small, slow and weak does not equate to professional success at line or linebacker. He is either a project, or he is just visiting for the training camp.

The NFL did a pretty good job of rating the linemen according to the position they were drafted. Moore was viewed as simply better than Sam, and that site does not project a team bias or PR concerns with the pick.

I will be so glad when I never have to hear Michael Sam's name again.

For the Last Half of the seventh round ESPN wouldn't let the drafting of Sam go. They keep on talking and talking about it. Why wasn't the Defensive Player of the year in the Conference (who would normally go in before round 3 was still on the board. On and On ...

And underneath these talking heads was the crawl containing MEL'S 10 BEST AVAILABLE
This was the list at pick 249 when Sam was drafted

1. Brandon Coleman WR - Rutgers
2. Marcus Roberson CB - Florida
3. Victor Hampton CB - South Carolina
4. Antonio Richardson OT - Tennessee
5. A. C. Leonard TE - Tennessee St
6. Terrance Mitchell CB - Oregon
7. James Hurst OT - North Carolina
8. Rashaad Reynolds CB - Oregon St
9. Christian Jones OLB - Florida St
10. Matt Patchan OT - Boston College

No mention of Michael Sam ever during the whole draft as one of the 10 Best Available
MEDIA BS !!!!

loosebearing said:

For the Last Half of the seventh round ESPN wouldn't let the drafting of Sam go. They keep on talking and talking about it. Why wasn't the Defensive Player of the year in the Conference (who would normally go in before round 3 was still on the board. On and On ...

And underneath these talking heads was the crawl containing MEL'S 10 BEST AVAILABLE
This was the list at pick 249 when Sam was drafted

1. Brandon Coleman WR - Rutgers
2. Marcus Roberson CB - Florida
3. Victor Hampton CB - South Carolina
4. Antonio Richardson OT - Tennessee
5. A. C. Leonard TE - Tennessee St
6. Terrance Mitchell CB - Oregon
7. James Hurst OT - North Carolina
8. Rashaad Reynolds CB - Oregon St
9. Christian Jones OLB - Florida St
10. Matt Patchan OT - Boston College

No mention of Michael Sam ever during the whole draft as one of the 10 Best Available
MEDIA BS !!!!

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Well said, my friend

We often hear players, coaches, and analyst talk about locker room chemistry and such. It's really not hard to imagine FOs being scared of drafting an openly gay athlete and what that can do to a team's locker room.

If you've ever played sports, you understand what kind of immature sophomoric atmosphere that goes on in there. There are a lot of politically incorrect language and shenanigans that goes in there strictly because a lot of these athletes are meatheads with a maturity level of a 17 year old.

The nfl should require every team to submit a 10 page report as to why they didn't draft Sam and why they liked other picks better. Those reports not seen as credible would result in docked draft picks. Or maybe have them wear a scarlet lgbt on their uniforms for the season. Seems reasonable. Recreational sanctimony.

The only thing I have to say about the Michael Sam situation is he hoped people would see him as Michael Sam the football player, not Michael Sam the gay football player.

Unfortunately the media and a lot of the world really didn't care what he wanted as evidenced by the media circus and when most of the people gave Michael Sam a standing ovation in radio city music hall. All this because he's gay.

Sorry Michael, they didn't care to listen to you...

Personally I feel like it's a slap in the face to the other 255 picks, undrafted rookies who signed with a team, and to Michael Sam for not honouring his simple request...

I don't think any teams discriminated against Sam cause he is gay, I actually think if he was he wouldn't have been drafted. Having said that I wish him all the luck in the NFL, as Brady showed,,, you cant measure a guys heart.

English Patriot said:

I've said since the beginning when this guy had that interview that i could care less what you do in your personal life outside of Gillette walls, if you can go sack that QB which the Pats are simply HOPELESS at doing when it really matters in January then you are welcome with open arms.

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Your hypothesis is completely wrong as the Pats were #5 in sacks in the NFL last year, so guess it is not all that hopeless....

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/defense/sort/sacks

Sam was also a bit of a one-year-wonder. He only had 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss over his first three years despite 38 games of experience, including 10 starts. That's got to be a concern.

OP, yours is exactly the narrative pushed by CNN, Trey Wingo, and others who know nothing about football, trying to make a story out of a non-story. You could feel the desperate hope that he wouldn't be drafted at all, so they could have made it the lead story for days, even though most experts had him as a 7th rounder/UDFA. This is what the media does these days--it will make stories if there are none. Shame on you for buying into it.

JR4 said:

Well that's my opinion also. But it seems our current culture has become one of intimidation towards
anyone who has expresses an opinion construed as anti-gay. "If you don't believe a gay man should be
part of a NFL locker room keep it to your self and don't utter a word about it" is how the media and NFL
are coming across these days. I believe many who come across this way are really closet anti-gays.

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I firmly belive that Sam was drafted late because he isn't very athletic for a DE. Not because he is gay.

With that said. If you believe that there shouldn't be gay man in the NFL then people and media have every right to say what an idiot you are. Just like they should be allowed to do if you said that a black man shouldn't be allowed in the NFL.

Zach Moore (#198) - Draft Grade 5.27
Jeremy Gallon (#244) - Draft Grade 5.2

Michael Sam (#249) - Draft Grade 5.1

Based on his raw athletic ability and skills...and the lousy combine didn't help.... Sam was picked exactly where he should have been picked imo. I'm also not convinced he's making the Rams roster. Good luck to him.

DarrylS said:

Your hypothesis is completely wrong as the Pats were #5 in sacks in the NFL last year, so guess it is not all that hopeless....

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/defense/sort/sacks

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The post you quoted says "in January".

We never pressured PM let alone laid a finger on him. He's actually not incorrect in that assassment.

condon84 said:

We often hear players, coaches, and analyst talk about locker room chemistry and such. It's really not hard to imagine FOs being scared of drafting an openly gay athlete and what that can do to a team's locker room.

If you've ever played sports, you understand what kind of immature sophomoric atmosphere that goes on in there. There are a lot of politically incorrect language and shenanigans that goes in there strictly because a lot of these athletes are meatheads with a maturity level of a 17 year old.

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You don't even really need to play. Say hello to the 2013 Miami Dolphins.

Two powerful forces on opposite ends of the spectrum working here.

If Sam truly was a 1st to 3rd rounder as he say he is...I have a hard time imagining any team passing up on that type of talent.

BUT, the last thing any coach or GM wants in his locker room is distraction. The fear may be that Sam may have invested himself mostly in his cause rather than into football.

...and let's face it....the realities of an NFL locker room are what they are. The chances for non football related incidences are too great.

This thread is a veiled attempt to get something stirred up from the social aspect of the player. There is a thread going on the Political Forum and feel free to go over there and post.

The fact is that many had Sam graded as a 7th rounder to an UDFA. The comments were that he was a "one trick pony". A speed rusher whohad no pass rush moves, could not set the edge, could not cover screens or quick outs to his side. And you could run right ast him as he could not shed blocks.

So he got drafted pretty much where many had him graded. I had seen Moore grade as high as a 5th rounder and many comments were " him has all the tools" he just needed to be taught how to use them. That is a little better than being labled a 'one trick pony".

I'm glad that Sam did get drafted and I hope that he makes it in the NFL. And as Buck Brooks on NFL Network said, his getting drafted should quell the circus of the social/political groups decending on the NFL and yelling and screaming "homophobe".

English Patriot said:

So his achievements mean nothing in other words? You don't get those accolades without being at least good. Is Tom Brady HOF going off combine film?

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Not really. You don't get drafted because of college production you get drafted because of what you will do in the NFL. Plenty of great college players have acceptable size, speed and strength for the college game, which is not acceptable at the pro level.
Your argument taken further is that because I was an allstate C at 5'11" 195lbs I should have gotten a division 1 full ride.