More than a handful of former Oregon football players were happy to see the National Football League’s lockout end early last week, as several of them are now heading to training camp for a shot at making a team’s 53-man roster as free agents this month.
Since the lockout ended on Tuesday, seven Oregon standouts have been granted a formal opportunity to compete for a spot at the next level. Defensive linemen Brandon Bair (Kansas City Chiefs) and Kenny Rowe (San Francisco 49ers) will be among those seven, with Rowe joining former teammates Will Tukuafu and Jeremiah Masoli, both members of the 2009 Pacific-10 Conference championship team, in the Bay Area.
Tukuafu is entering his second season as a defensive tackle with San Francisco, while Masoli, who was also picked up as an undrafted free agent this summer, will compete as a running back after playing quarterback for the Ducks and Ole Miss last season.
The New York Giants picked up linebacker Spencer Paysinger, while the Baltimore Ravens will give Talmadge Jackson III a shot in the secondary. Former wide receiving duo of D.J. Davis and Jeff Maehl will compete for the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans, respectively, while Bo Thran will travel to San Diego to compete for the Chargers.
Former linebacker Casey Matthews was the only player from Oregon national championship team to get drafted, going to the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round as the 116th pick overall.