stallworth is right!
 

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/e...rgument-021114

props to him, for finding empathy, and realizing he had 'been there' as well. and his tweets are spot on regarding sam and the nfl.

Unfortunately this will hurt his draft position as GM's don't want a Tebow like atmosphere. They will never admit it though as that would be political suicide.

i'm not so sure that it will hurt. i hope it won't have any effect at all on where he'd go. but, no way to ever know for sure.

What's going to hurt his draft position even more is the fact that he's barely 6'1" and 250 lbs. and runs a 4.75 40.

He is not an every-down back in the NFL & he never will be. He is positional at best - possibly a 3rd down pass rusher and special teams type; someone NO team in the NFL has the luxury of spending a high draft pick on.

But the circus tent is now pitched; let the accusations fly about how "Homophobic" the NFL is when he slips to the 4th round. Any team that drafts him will be praying for a Tebow atmosphere in comparison. As Stallworth commented, a well run football operation can not only negate the distractions, but can put a positive spin on it - the ones who can't don't have the ability to run a top flight organization anyway.

Best of luck to him wherever he lands - there will be a distinct, welcomed, and much needed change in atmosphere.

it's funny that suddenly the top defensive player in the sec and an all-american isn't big enough, good enough, etc. makes one wonder how he was ever projected as a third rounder to begin with.

CFB and the NFL are apples and oranges. Tebow set all sorts of SEC records at Florida, he can't get a job now. Jerry Rice, arguably one of the best WR's in history, came from a Junior College. It has nothing to do with how he performed in the SEC - it has everything to do with how transferable his skills are to the NFL.

he has been projected as a most likely 4th rounder.. wouldnt be surprised to see him drafted in round 4 or 5 still, even with the coming out.

The Eagles drafted a guy who I think is pretty much Mike Sam's re-incarnate in Brandon Graham. 6'2 260 tweaner Defensive End who was the Big 10 defensive player of the year... He hasnt really worked out for the Eagles yet, though he is a good pass rusher in situations. If we had to re-draft Brandon Graham I'd take him in the 4th round. Michael Sam had a teammate on the offensive side of the line (the other DE) who will probably be a first round pick.. I'm not saying that to deminish Sam but as a football player a 4th round grade is probably right.

since he was projected a third-rounder based on all the facts they had, i don't see why that would change just based on his coming out.
the talking heads new what he'd done, his size, speed, etc, before.
and i know there's a difference between college and pro, which is why everyone said tebow would stink in the pros. they were right. sam's projection as a probable 3rd rounder should still stand, as his news changes nothing regarding his talents.

there is still a lot to go before the draft. if he performes poorly at the combine, i could see him slipping to a 6th or 7th.. if he does well at the combine he could move up to a 3rd round pick... I havent really seen him projected any higher than 4th round at this point.

yes, i know he's slid down some...but both espn and si said they thought he'd go as high as a third rounder. so did nflscoutinsider.

i just hope that whatever team was interested remains interested.

lets just hope the Dolphins dont draft him...

With the NFL as competitive as it is both on the field and in the executive suite, the notion that a team would pass on what they perceive is the best player/pick because he is gay is ludicrous.

:D

What Should be and what actually is are two different animals. Is it far fetched to think a team doesn't want the circus atmosphere that the media will become? It's quite easy for us to sit here in February and discount that but it is far different come October November when you are being hounded 24x7 by the media. In my mind that is why Tebow doesn't have a job. No one can tell me he isn't good enough to be a 2nd or 3rd stringer somewhere in the league.

te, yes.

qb, no.

as rbe pointed out, college skills don't always transfer to the nfl and tebow was one of those cases. if you think he belongs somewhere as an nfl qb, you saw skills i missed.

I have 2 words for you Scott Tolzien

If you had watched the Senior Bowl (forgive my assumption, most did not) there wouldn't be much wonder - his stock tanked immediately afterward. He's going to need a Herculean effort in the Combine to restore the faith imo.

bad decision making is easier to correct than a flawed throwing motion.

that's why tolzien still has a nfl career and tebow doesn't.

we didn't catch it.

If they'd draft some gay offensive lineman that can play I'd be ok with it. Mock drafts have them taking a lineman from Notre Dame which kind of makes him gay.

Fact is that the lifespan of NFL GM's and coaches is short and despite all the rhetoric to the contrary, the media are going to make this a story. I wouldnt blame a team for passing on him especially if they dont think he is a starting level player.

While everyone is saying they wouldnt mind a gay teammate, they will mind a teammate that isnt a top player that everyone talks about all the time, gay or not (Tebow!!) Thinking NFL players and coaches are going to be happy fielding questions all year long on a special teams player is myopic (Tebow!!).

The media made a huge story in Miami about bullying when the reality it was just a poor player quiting. What happens to the team if Sams doesnt play great on the field? Is releasing him going to start the entire media frenzy up again?

The players and coaches on the team are far less likely to be a problem than the 24 hour a day, blood thirsty media is.