Jeff Fisher's Seventh Round Picks
Two seventh round picks by teams coached by Jeff Fisher were cut today. Marc Mariani was cut by the Tennessee Titans and Michael Sam was cut by the St. Louis Rams. The only thing the two players had in common was Jeff Fisher took a chance on them.
Mariani was noticed by Fisher when he played with Fisher’s son, Brandon, at the University of Montana. The Tennessee Titans drafted Marc in the seventh round of 2010
Sam was noticed by Fisher because the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year was twisting in the wind of the NFL draft because of his coming out as the first openly gay player. Sam’s stock was in freefall toward undrafted free agent when Fisher snatched him with a seventh round pick seven spots ahead of Mr. Irrelevant, the last player drafted. The Rams had a covey of picks in the draft and could afford to take one for the all the teams in the NFL. It would have been a black eye indictment if Sam had gone undrafted.
Mariani’s was a feel good story from the start that got derailed and ends up as a sad tale of what might have been. He made the Pro Bowl as a returner in his rookie season and seemed to have a future as a wide receiver as well someday. Then he got his leg broken badly enough in the 2012 preseason to make YouTube and then after fighting back he suffered a season ending shoulder injury in 2013.
Mariani came into the 2014 season as a long shot to make the team after two full years away. The Titans signed two guys in Leon Douglas and Dexter McCluster who could return kicks. Marc had to make it as a receiver and the two years of development lost were too much ground to make up.
He leaves Nashville with everyone a little saddened by his passing from our sports scene. The consensus seems to be “he was a good dude” who got some bad breaks.
As for Sam, ESPN has been in a feeding frenzy since before draft day, making sure to capture Michael kissing his partner after being picked. There were speculations about Sam not showering with his teammates so as to not make them uncomfortable. When I heard that I thought back to the scene in the movie “42” where pitcher Carl Branca was asking Jackie Robinson why he always waited to shower after the other players were done. Branca asked Robinson to take a shower with him, then realized that didn’t sound quite right and the two men laughed nervously.
I guess the same goes for Sam, but ESPN is the one who made everyone laugh nervously.
I applauded last week when Rams star defender Chris Long, a team leader who is also a defensive end, tweeted: “Dear ESPN, Everyone but you is over it.” I’m with Long, there have been rumored gay players in the NFL for a long time, but Sam is the first with the courage to come out and stand up. Long is one of the reasons Sam didn’t make the team as the Rams are loaded at defensive end, but it was nice to see someone of his stature had Michael Sam’s back.
Both Sam and Mariani are classic “tweeners”. Sam is too small for an NFL defensive end and too slow for outside linebacker. Mariani is fast and elusive, but not as fast as he was before the leg injury. He doesn’t have the size of a Justin Hunter or the speed of a Kendall Wright that’s required to make it at wide receiver in this league.
I watched the interview with Jeff Fisher, my old Titans’ couch, as he danced on the griddle for not keeping Sam on the final roster. He had to answer why they were keeping five tight ends, which does sound like a lot until you realize they have some injuries to players they depend on. If I were the fourth or fifth tight end I wouldn’t get too comfortable.
In the end, Fisher said this was a “football decision” and I think it was. Sam went to great lengths from I could tell to make the story about his play and learning the NFL and not about being a distraction. I think he handled himself almost to the level of Jackie Robinson except he benefitted from our prejudices being driven deeper underground than they were in America of 1947. But, then you wonder if Richie Incognito were still in the league and had anything to say this might be like 1947 and Ben Chapman all over again.
I am hoping both Mariani and Sam get picked up somewhere. I think Mariani will as kick returners always seem to find work and I think he’s still a good one. Sam may catch on with another team’s practice squad, maybe even the Rams. But, he still carries the ESPN baggage and his performance must outweigh the glaring light of cameras. Regardless of personal outcome, Sam has done some heavy lifting to pave the way for the next openly gay player, who may have undeniable NFL talent. If a player has talent, the NFL will forgive most anything – arrest, drugs, marital assault. And hopefully the average player’s attitude on sexual orientation is more Chris Long than Richie Incognito.
