Michael Sam Waived: Jaguars Should Take a Look

Tweener Michael Sam was just waived from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, do the Jaguars take a look?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a pretty decent pass rush this season, racking up an impressive 22 sacks. The sacks are coming from all over, with Chris Clemons leading the team with four while five players are all credited with two sacks.

That’s solid production from across the defense.

Yet, as Daniel Lago has pointed out, the Jaguars could very well go defensive end in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Jaguars do need a disruptive pass rusher who can dominate consistently. Clemons, despite his four sacks, has been a bit of a disappointment for the team. The Jaguars need a dependable pass rusher who consistently gets pressure on the quarterback.

Does that describe Michael Sam?

It’s a tough question because Sam doesn’t have any game tape aside from this preseason. He looked hungry for a job with the St. Louis Rams, but they ultimately released him in favor of Ethan Westbrooks. Sam landed with the Cowboys on their practice squad but has been forced out due to defensive line depth.

The Jags have some good players up and coming along their defensive line. Ryan Davis in particular looks like he deserves more snaps. With the injury to Andre Branch (three sacks, second on the team) and his upcoming six week absence, the Jaguars will be forced to see what young players like Davis can bring consistently.

A little extra insurance in the form of Michael Sam would be a practical move to take in case the young players can’t prove consistent. It’s good for the Jaguars at this point to get another player in on the mix.

I say this mostly because I was impressed by Sam’s play this preseason. He had nine sacks with the Rams (keep in mind this was the preseason), which got the attention of pretty much everyone around the league. He was an All American in 2013 with 11.5 sacks his senior year. As pointed out by Joe Soriano, he benefited from a strong supporting cast. While I don’t know if could fit in directly at defensive end or if he could transition to an outside linebacker, taking a look at Sam may be beneficial for the Jaguars.

I don’t think the coaching staff will pick him up, though. While it’s a low risk and potentially medium reward type move, the Jaguars may be focused on other problems or may be satisfied with the current defensive alignment (they’ve had three impressive weeks in a row).

What do you guys think? Should Michael Sam be considered for the Jaguars? Sound off in the comments.