The San Francisco 49ers released Lawrence Okoye as part of their first round of roster cuts, and he is getting a sniff. ESPN's Field Yates is reporting the New England Patriots brought in Okoye for a workout. They have not yet signed him to any deal.
Okoye was not claimed off waivers following his release, and is free to sign anywhere he wants. Jim Tomsula said the team released him in the first round of cuts so that he would have more time to land with a team. Tomsula's reasoning was that given his inexperience and lack of game film, once final cuts it, it would be even harder to land an opportunity.
I could see Okoye getting an opportunity once the final cuts are made, and teams re-assess their strengths and weaknesses. However, it would not surprise me if Okoye ended up on a practice squad for a second year. He was on IR his first season and the practice squad last year, so there are no restrictions on including him on the practice squad in 2015. I would not be at all surprised if he ended up back on the 49ers practice squad for one more season.