Michael Sam is looking for a new team. (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Rams announced the signing of 10 players to their practice squad on Monday, and defensive end Michael Sam was not among them.
The absence of Sam, the first openly gay player in the NFL, brings him a little bit closer to being a man without a team this season.
He was waived by the Rams on Saturday, and no team picked him up off waivers. His chances of being employed by the NFL this year decreased further when the Rams did not sign him to the practice squad.
The Rams announced the practice-squad signings linebacker Denicos Allen, wide receiver Emory Blake, safety Christian Bryant, defensive tackle Matt Conrath, safety Matt Daniels, quarterback Garrett Gilbert, tackle Sean Hooey, linebacker Kevin Reddick, wide receiver Justin Veltung and guard Brandon Washington.
—After missing the entire preseason recovering from right knee surgery, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is ready to return to the field for Sunday’s regular-season opener at Miami.
“Super excited, super pumped. I feel mentally and physically ready, for sure. No doubt about it,” Gronkowski said. “My mentality now is I’m ready to go, I’m ready to be out there, I’m ready to hit, I’m ready to start going.”
Gronkowski said he will most likely wear a brace over the knee but doesn’t plan to change his style of play.
Also, the Patriots announced the signing of 10 players to their practice squad including quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
The other players signed to the practice squad were:
Defensive linemen Jake Bequette, Charley Hughlett and Deonate Skinner, wide receiver Josh Boyce, linebacker Ja’Gared Davis, safety Kanorris Davis, running back Jonas Gray, offensive lineman Chris Martin and defensive back Daxton Swanson.
—Carolina quarterback Cam Newton returned to the practice field and looked primed and ready for the Panthers opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was the first time since Newton suffered fractured ribs on Aug. 22 against New England that he had been a full participant in practice. He “showed no limitation” during throwing drills, according to ESPN. Newton showed a full range of motion during drills.
In fact, Newton ran, which he was unable to do last week, between drills. He has started every game since being the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
—Denver veteran wide receiver Wes Welker joined his Broncos teammates on the practice field, a good sign that he avoided a long-term setback from a concussion.
Welker still needs to be cleared by doctors before he can play in the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
He suffered his third concussion in less than a year when he was hit by D.J. Swearinger during a preseason game against the Houston Texans. The hit angered quarterback Peyton Manning, who was penalized and fined by the league for taunting the safety after a touchdown pass on the subsequent play.
—The Chicago Bears signed long snapper Jeremy Cain to their 53-man roster. On Sunday, the Chicago Bears waived long snapper Brandon Hartson after signing him to a three-year contract at the beginning of August.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound Cain has appeared in 83 career games with the Bears, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars (2009-12), with 75 of those appearances as a long snapper.
The Bears also announced 10 signings to the practice squad: wide receiver Josh Bellamy, center Taylor Boggs, defensive tackle Brandon Dunn, cornerback Isaiah Frey, guard Ryan Groy, linebacker DeDe Lattimore, cornerback Al Louis-Jean, cornerback Terrance Mitchell, defensive tackle Roy Philon and wide receiver Rashad Ross.
—The Tennessee Titans signed former Kansas City Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop to a one-year contract.
Succop now will face his old team in the regular-season opener Sunday in Kansas City. The Chiefs released him on Saturday after five seasons. He lost out to rookie Cairo Santos, a decision that might have been influenced by Succop’s scheduled salary of $1.95 million against that of an undrafted rookie.
Succop, 27, made 22 of 28 field goals and forced 47 touchbacks in 91 kickoffs in 2013. He is the most accurate field-goal kicker in Chiefs history (119 of 147 for 81 percent).
—The Buffalo Bills named their team captains, but starting quarterback EJ Manuel was not one of the six players.
Cornerback Corey Graham, running back Fred Jackson, linebacker Brandon Spikes, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, defensive end Mario Williams and center Eric Wood were selected by their teammates as captains for the 2014 season.
Also, Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins is day to day after aggravating an injury to his ribs in the preseason finale. He practiced but the team would not commit to how much he will practice later this week.
—New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin’s frustration with oft-injured rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham boiled over again, when the coach said Beckham could be three weeks from playing due to a hamstring injury.
The Giants used the 12th overall pick to add the LSU sprinter. He last practiced Aug. 19 when he felt his hamstring grab. At the time, the Giants denied he had a setback. However, Coughlin said he talked to Beckham recently to say “don’t have another setback.”
His absence could become one for the Giants, who were counting on the speedster to spark the passing game that lost former No. 1 receiver Hakeem Nicks.
—The San Diego Chargers signed defensive tackle Ricardo Mathews. To make room for him on the roster, the team waived running back Marion Grice.
Mathews, 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, was a seventh-round pick by Indianapolis in 2010 and played four seasons for the Colts before signing with Houston this offseason. In four seasons in Indianapolis, Mathews recorded 51 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
—Nick Fairley’s demotion to second string was a wake-up call, the Detroit Lions defensive tackle said. He had struggled with his weight in the preseason, drawing the ire of coach Jim Caldwell.
Fairley got the message and on Monday was told he would start alongside Ndamukong Suh against the New York Giants in the season opener on Monday night.
He weighed less than 300 pounds in the spring, but reported to training camp heavier than the 315 pounds he purported to be. The Detroit Free Press said Fairley weighed at least 320 pounds. He was listed on the unofficial depth chart on second string behind C.J. Mosley.
—The Oakland Raiders signed 10 players to their practice squad, including rookie running back George Atkinson III out of Notre Dame.
Atkinson, who is the son of former Raiders safety George Atkinson, rushed for a game-high 63 yards on eight carries and returned a kickoff 45 yards in the Raiders’ final preseason game against the Seahawks.
The other players signed are defensive end Denico Autry, defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, linebackers Bojay Filimoeatu and Spencer Hadley, cornerback Ras-I Dowling, tackle Dan Kistler, guard Lamar Mady, tight end Scott Simonson and wide receiver Seth Roberts.
—The Atlanta Falcons signed wide receiver Freddie Martino and tight end Kyle Miller to the practice squad.
Martino, 6-feet, 195 pounds, was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted rookie out of North Greenville shortly after May’s draft.
Miller entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie from Mount Union in 2011 who originally signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has spent time with the Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins.
—The Cleveland Browns signed offensive lineman Patrick Lewis to the practice squad.
Lewis spent 11 weeks on the Browns’ active roster last season. He dressed but did not play in three games and was inactive for eight more. Lewis also spent three weeks on the club’s practice squad before being signed to Jacksonville’s active roster.
—The Minnesota Vikings signed cornerback Chris Greenwood to fill out their 10-player practice squad.
Greenwood was waived by the Detroit Lions on Saturday. A 2012 fifth-round pick, Greenwood has appeared in just three NFL games, slowed by injuries in the last two seasons.
—The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed cornerback Derrius Brooks, cornerback Brandon Dixon, linebacker Carlos Fields and safety Kimario McFadden to fill out their practice squad.
Brooks entered the league as a college free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012, before going to play in the Canadian Football League for Calgary in 2013.
Dixon was a sixth-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2014 draft, spending this offseason and preseason with them before being waived in the final cuts. ields (6-1, 238) joins Tampa Bay after spending this past offseason and preseason with the Oakland Raiders.
—The Washington Redskins announced the signing of safety Akeem Davis and linebacker Chaz Sutton to the team’s practice squad.
Sutton originally signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent out of South Carolina.
Davis spent the offseason with Redskins before being cut.
—The Green Bay Packers signed cornerback Jumal Rolle to the practice squad and released wide receiver Alex Gillett.
Rolle had been released as part of the team’s final cutdown to its 53-man roster.
