Five athletes with Montana ties made NFL rosters, which had to be cut down to 53 players Saturday. Kalispell Flathead product Brock Osweiler, Glendive native Mike Person and Bozeman alumni Brock Coyle and Will Dissly survived the final round of cuts. Former Montana Grizzly Trumaine Johnson is also still in the league after signing a lucrative contract with the New York Jets in the offseason.
Brock Osweiler
Osweiler, the 6-foot-7 quarterback, has bounced around the league since signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the Houston Texans in 2015. However, Osweiler has found a spot on the 53-man roster for the Miami Dolphins, serving as an insurance policy to starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL last year. David Fales also made the 53-man roster, so Fales and Osweiler are vying to be Tannehill’s backup.
Brock Coyle
Coyle, a former Montana Grizzly, re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason for a reported deal of three years and more than $8 million, with $3 million guaranteed. The middle linebacker from Bozeman is listed as a backup, but he should see plenty of playing time. Last year, his first in San Francisco, the former Seahawk started 10 games, making 64 tackles.
Mike Person
Person signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers in May. It is Person’s second stint with the franchise, which drafted him in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Person has played for six different teams. He was competing with Laken Tomlinson, a 2015 first-round pick out of Duke, for the starting left guard job for the 49ers throughout training camp and the preseason.
Trumaine Johnson
Johnson signed a big five-year deal in the offseason with the New York Jets, reportedly giving the cornerback $34 million guaranteed. He left the Rams after five years to become a crucial part of the Jets’ D. The Stockton, Calif. native has 328 tackles, 18 interceptions, with three touchdown returns in his career.
Will Dissly
A run-blocking specialist at tight end out of the University of Washington, the Bozeman native was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft in April by the Seattle Seahawks. Dissly was Montana’s Gatorade player of the year in 2013. While at the University of Washington, Dissly’s best game came against the University of Montana when he caught five passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Dissly was also named to the 2014 Parade all-America team, joining future NFL players Leonard Fournette, Myles Garrett, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey.
