Getty Christian Sam
The New England Patriots drafted linebacker Christian Sam in 2018 in the sixth round. He never played a regular season game for the Patriots, but he’s set to get a shot with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022.
Per NFL insider Dov Kleinman, the Cowboys are signing Sam and giving him an opportunity to make their roster for the upcoming season.
While Sam didn’t play in a regular season game for the Patriots, he was on the practice squad as a rookie and as with the team during their Super Bowl parade following their win of Super Bowl LIII.
Sam turned 26 in June so he is running out of time to make an impact and to maximize his earning potential as an NFL player. This could be his final opportunity in the NFL.
Patriots Have Decent Depth at LB, But No Proven Stars
New England has no lack of young and athletic linebackers on their roster.
That’s a far cry from the older, slower group the team had on the field in 2021. Gone are Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy. They will be replaced by Raekwon McMillan, Mack Wilson and Cameron McGrone.
Patriots Youth Movement at LB
The Patriots wanted to get more athletic and younger at linebacker and they accomplished that goal. When you add in Josh Uche, the foursome (including McMillan, Wilson and McGrone) have an average age of 23.7. While that youth and injection of speed is exciting, the other truth about this group is that it is very unproven.
McMillan has struggled to stay healthy throughout his short NFL career. He had a strong start to training camp derailed in 2021 when he suffered a torn ACL that cost him the entire season. Wilson was traded to the Patriots in exchange for Chase Winovich as both young men needed a change of scenery in hopes of unlocking their potential.
Wilson has been decent through his first three years in the NFL, but he saw his starts diminish from 14 as a rookie to 8 in 2020 and finally down to 6 in 2021. He’s still just 24 with upside, so there is a chance he will pop with the Patriots.
McGrone might be the most athletic of the bunch, but he too had to recover from a knee injury coming out of college. He’s yet to play in a regular season NFL game. Uche has some experience as he heads into his third year.
He has the potential to be a force on the edge, but health has been an issue for him as well. Uche has missed 12 games in his first two years in the league which has drastically limited his ability to get comfortable and to find his niche. New England is hoping 2022 is his year to pop as well.
If the young Patriots LBs take a major step and remain healthy, it could be bad news for opposing offenses.
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