20120901_ajw_ad9_101.jpg

Michael Sam could become the first openly gay player to play in the NFL

(Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports)

The potential for some NFL history was made on Sunday, as Missouri outside linebacker Michael Sam announced that he is gay.

Sam, who was projected to go anywhere from the third to fifth round before the announcment, would become the first openly gay NFL player to play in a game should he be drafted and make a team.

Now the question becomes what team is going to take a chance on Sam -- and Peter King of Sports Illustrated writes that it could be the Eagles.

It could be that a liberal owner and progressive coach like Jeffrey Lurie and Chip Kelly of the Eagles will not care at all, and if he's there in the fourth or fifth round will grab him.

Will the Eagles take Sam? Here are five reasons why there is a real chance they could.

1. Position of need: Although he was a defensive end in college, Sam is projected by many to have to switch outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense in the NFL -- perhaps the Eagles' biggest need. It is unlikely that Trent Cole will go into next season as the team's starter, as he is another year older and isn't athletic enough to play the position full time. Sam, on the other hand, does have the athleticism to be a productive outside linebacker. Nearly every scouting report mentions Sam's speed as his best asset, especially going from sideline-to-sideline. While he might not start from Day 1, Sam could come to the Eagles and provide them with a good athlete at a big position of need.

2. Versatile: Chip Kelly made it very clear last season that he values versatility amongst his players, and that is something Sam offers. Labeled a "tweener" at 6-1, 255 lbs, Sam is not quite big enough to play defensive end, but doesn't have ideal size to be a linebacker. To some that might be a weakness, but Kelly might value the fact that Sam could line up on the defensive line in certain situations, while also having the ability to drop back. Plus, Kelly and general manager Howie Roseman showed last season that they will draft a player of value that is dropping. If Sam drops due to other teams being afraid of bringing him onto the team, the Eagles could pounce.

3. Connor Barwin: Fair or not, the reality is that how the locker room accepts Sam will be instrumental in deciding how successful his NFL career is. Although he doesn't speak for every player on the Eagles, linebacker Connor Barwin let it be known quickly on Twitter that he supports Sam.

Barwin is one of the vocal leaders of the team, and one of the most respected players in the locker room. Having Barwin there to help welcome Sam into the locker room like any other rookie is a big reason why the team wouldn't have to worry about drafting the openly gay player.

4. Michael Vick, Riley Cooper: The Eagles have never been afraid of sticking by a player they think can help them despite the media storm that might come with it. The Eagles signed Michael Vick when other teams were afraid to, and stuck by Riley Cooper last season despite some public pressure to release him after his use of a racial slur. That is not to compare Sam to those players or their actions, but simply to point out that the Eagles have a history of not allowing potential off-the-field distractions to dictate their decisions on the field.

5. Been there, done that: As mentioned above, the Eagles are used to dealing with a potentially distracting situation and completely squashing it. Many thought that Vick would be a distraction in his first season, and some thought that the team could not recover from the Cooper situation last season. Instead, the Eagles made the playoffs in both of those seasons, with the large majority of the locker room standing behind both Cooper and Vick without much incident or controversy at all.

The Eagles are set up to handle Sam coming to the team. Lurie has shown he is an owner that has no problem with controversy. Kelly, the face of the team, knows how to deal with the media and move on from a topic. The Eagles have strong, media savvy leadership in the locker room who won't allow a controversial comment to come out. In Philadelphia, Sam could come about as close as possible to just focussing on playing football, which would allow him to make good on the potential he showed at Missouri -- and if he did, he could help the Eagles.

Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks