A number of Trojans are getting paid and a number of others are on the move during the 2017 NFL Free Agency period.Perhaps most notably, former Bills wide receiver Robert Woods signed a five-year contract with the LA Rams to come home and play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Woods led the Bills with 619 receiving yards last year, and hopes to provide a boost to a squad that ranked last in the NFL in total offense in 2016. He joins teammate T.J. McDonald on the local squad.
Second-year center Max Tuerk isn't moving to a new team, but he'll be back in the Coliseum as well, as the San Diego Chargers relocated to Los Angeles.
Yet another familiar face will grace the Coliseum this fall. Former Bears quarterback Matt Barkley signed a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, who are in search of a leader at that position. Barkley will join linebacker Malcolm Smith. The Super Bowl XLVIII MVP recently signed a two-year deal in San Francisco after spending the last two years in Oakland.
Two Trojan brothers will be reunited in North Carolina, as former Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil signed a deal to play alongside his brother, Ryan. Both Kalil brothers were starters for their squads last year before suffering season-ending injuries.
Tight end Rhett Ellison is leaving Minnesota as well, trading in purple and gold for the New York Giants' blue and red. He joins Trojan linebacker Devon Kennard in East Rutherford.
While Kalil and Ellison leave the NFC North, Nick Perry will hold it down, as the Green Bay Packers re-signed the linebacker to a five-year deal after the best season of his career.
Many Trojans are starting new chapters in their NFL careers, but tight end Jordan Cameron is ready for a new journey off the gridiron, announcing his retirement after six seasons. Though Cameron is leaving, a crop of new Trojans will join the fold after the 2017 NFL Draft this April.
The NFL returns on Thursday, Aug. 3, with the 2017 Hall of Fame Game kicking off the preseason. The NFL regular season begins on Thursday, Sept. 7.
