The CFL is Michael Sam’s best football opportunity

By Keegan Matheson | Apr 1, 2015

Michael Sam has stayed in the NFL spotlight over the past year despite seeing little time on an NFL roster, and it is becoming clear that Sam may need to take the road less traveled if he hopes to play on the game’s greatest stage. The Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League own Sam’s negotiating rights, and are reportedly hoping to sign the Missouri pass-rusher before their training camp opens in late May.

According to Rick Scuteri of the Montreal Gazette, Alouettes general manager Jim Popp has maintained his interest with Sam, and continues to speak regularly with his agent as they exhaust all NFL options before turning their sights north.

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“The CFL is cut out perfectly for his style, Jim Popp told the Montreal Gazette. €œIt would give him the opportunity to do what he does best. His agent knows. They’re ready. They know this (CFL) may be what it is. It’s Michael who has to make the decision — and he might never come. The indications were he was ready to come last fall, and he’s still not with us. So I really don’t know. Seriously, I’d say our chances are 50/50.”

Sam most recently surfaced at the NFL’s Veteran Combine, where he admitted that the Alouettes remain a very real possibility for him. He posted a 4.99-second time in the 40 yard dash, however, and failed to show any notable improvement from his 2014 Scouting Combine performance.

The challenge facing Sam is that he is a defensive end trapped in the body of an outside linebacker. His 6’2″, 261 pound frame is by no means “too small”, but he has yet to display the raw strength required to line up on the defensive line. His 4.99-second speed won’t cut it as a rush linebacker from the edge, and he does not excel dropping into coverage, which leaves Sam stuck somewhere in the middle.

What Sam desperately needs if he hopes to continue his career is a football field, any football field, that he can produce and continue to grow on. The NFL lacks a developmental platform of their own, and I’m often surprised that more players do not choose to revive their careers with one or two seasons in Canada. If Sam is looking for inspiration, Miami Dolphins’ sack-master Cameron Wake is his man.

Wake went undrafted out of Penn State, and wisely chose to play in Canada to boost his NFL value. In two seasons (2007, 2008), Wake played for the B.C. Lions, recording sack totals of 16.0 and 23.0. This caught the eye of NFL talent evaluators and Wake has since developed into one of the leagues most consistent pass-rush threats.

Sam’s workout numbers have not moved him to the top of the free agent pile, and in one month, that pile will be flooded with newer and younger undrafted talent from the 2015 Draft. These prospects may be faster or stronger, but if Sam can stick in the CFL and prove that he still has that ever-valuable “football player” trait, then it would not surprise me to see an NFL team become more willing to take a chance on him.

The Canadian game is pass-heavy, featuring a larger field, three downs and a 20 game schedule. Sam would have endless opportunities to get after the passer and grow his game. The CFL would be the road less traveled for Sam to reach the NFL, but at this point, it may be the only road open.

Next: NFL Draft: Doing more with less

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