NFC Notes: Sam, Van Noy, Gettis, Guion

After being waived by the Rams on Saturday, defensive end Michael Sam wasn’t claimed by another team, meaning he is now a free agent. By our count, nine teams still have at least one practice squad spot open, so Sam might yet find NFL work. It’s just my speculation, but the Bills, Bengals, or Giants, each of whom has a practice squad opening, could be schematic fits for Sam. If Sam wants immediate playing time, however, he could look to latch on with the CFL, where the Montreal Alouettes control his rights. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the team has reached out to Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL, but has not heard back. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is more blunt, saying (via Twitter) that “there is nothing to…the CFL talk.”

More from the NFC:

  • Lions second-round linebacker Kyle Van Noy could miss eight games as he recovers from core muscle surgery, according to Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News. Van Noy, who is now a candidate to be placed on short-term IR, was expected to start at strong side linebacker. Tahir Whitehead is next up on Detroit’s depth chart.
  • The Giants’ offensive line was ravaged by both injury (Geoff Schwartz) and retirement (Chris Snee) over the offseason, and it looks like the team is trying to bring in some help. Per Josina Anderson of ESPN (on Twitter), New York will visit with and workout offensive lineman Adam Gettis on Tuesday. Gettis was a fifth-round pick by the Redskins in 2012.
  • B.J. Raji was transitioning back to nose tackle before a biceps injury sidelined him for the year, meaning Letroy Guion will take over as the Packers’ primary NT, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • The Seahawks have utilized a conservative, run-heavy offense during Russell Wilson‘s first two seasons in the NFL, but as Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes, Seattle could let Wilson do more during year three. “He’s in great control of what’s going on,” said head coach Pete Carroll. “Very, very comfortable. He’s playing faster than he has at any time. He understands better what we want. He really can play on the expectations of getting the ball out of his hands quickly and making sure he can control rush in that regard.”
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