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Bills Lineman Says ESPN To Blame For Michael Sam Not Having A Job

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL, currently doesn't have a job. He was cut over the weekend by the St. Louis Rams and passed through waivers unclaimed.

Eric Wood, an offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills, says a major sports media outlet is to blame for Sam being ignored by the league's other 31 teams.

Wood responded to a question posed by NBC and Sirius XM NFL analyst Ross Tucker on Twitter:

Sam, who was drafted in the seventh round out of Missouri, had by most accounts a very solid preseason with the Rams, but simply was a bad fit considering how stacked St. Louis seems to be along its defensive line.

The Rams also chose not to sign Sam to their practice squad, Pro Football Talk reported.

ESPN came under fire last week when it reported that Sam had not showered with his teammates during training camp. The backlash came fast and furious and the network quickly apologized for the insensitivity of the report.

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said cutting Sam was a "football decision," and that the 6-foot-2, 255-pound lineman was never a distraction.

"There were no issues, that's the thing," Fisher said. "No issues in the team meeting room, on the field, any place."

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