Michael Sam not signed to St. Louis Rams practice squad

The St. Louis Rams have filled their 10-player practice squad, and it does not include defensive end Michael Sam.

Sam, who is trying to become the NFL's first openly gay player, was among the final players the Rams cut on Saturday as the team set its 53-man roster. The Rams kept nine defensive linemen, including five defensive ends.

Sam, a seventh-round pick from Missouri, was likely the 10th – and the sixth defensive end, behind starters Chris Long and Robert Quinn, reserves Eugene Sims and Williams Hayes, and rookie Ethan Westbrooks.

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, who met with Sam in person on Sunday, said Saturday that the team's practice squad would in part be determined by which positions the team might be thin at on the active roster, strictly for practice purposes.

Indeed, the group of practice squad players announced by the Rams on Monday includes no defensive ends, and only one defensive lineman – tackle Matt Conrath.