TEMPE, Ariz. – One of the Arizona Cardinals’ needs this season is to strengthen their pass rush.

According to Outsports.com, they’ll begin addressing it with defensive end Michael Sam.

In a report Sunday that addressed the possibility Sam is being frozen out of the NFL because he’s openly gay, coach Bruce Arians told Outsports.com the Cardinals would evaluate Sam.

“Arians even told me that despite their 3-4 defense they'll be looking at Sam in the next few weeks,” Outsports.com’s Cyd Zeigler wrote.

Sam, who was the SEC’s defensive player of the year in 2013, was drafted in the seventh round in 2014 by the St. Louis Rams. He was released during final cuts on Aug. 30 and then signed to the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad on Sept. 3 only to be released on Oct. 21.

He has not been signed by any other team.

NFL teams are in the process of expanding their rosters to 90 for offseason workouts and training camp.

Sam has applied for one of 100 spots for the first veterans combine to be held at the Cardinals’ training facility on March 22, according to USA Today. A selection committee will choose the 100 players.

The Cardinals’ 35 sacks were their fewest since 2010 and 70.5 percent of their yards allowed were in the air. But defensive linemen Frostee Rucker, Calais Campbell and Tommy Kelly were among the top 20 in pass-rush productivity, according to Pro Football Focus. Arizona allowed opposing quarterbacks plenty of time to survey the field on dropbacks. Opposing quarterbacks averaged 2.4 seconds in the pocket (22nd in the NFL) and averaged 2.62 seconds before a pass (26th in the league).

Arians said last year that he didn’t think a locker room would have an issue with a gay teammate in it, adding that he thought the fans -- especially opposing fans -- would be the problem.