The Oakland Raiders Friday promoted defensive lineman
The 6-6, 285-pound Bair was signed to the Raiders’ practice squad on Sept. 12 after spending training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. Originally signed by the Chiefs as a non-drafted free agent out of Oregon in 2011, he earned a spot on Kansas City’s active roster and was inactive for all 16 games as a rookie.
Bair played in 52 games with 26 starts at Oregon, beginning his college career as a tight end before moving to defensive end. He started all 13 games as a senior in 2010, earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors after totaling 47 tackles (25 solo) and three sacks.
The 6-1, 191-pound Nelms was signed to Oakland’s practice squad on Nov. 15 after spending training camp with the San Francisco 49ers. Originally signed by the 49ers as a non-drafted rookie free agent out of Miami, Nelms spent the entire 2011 season on San Francisco’s practice squad.
A gifted track standout, Nelms walked on as a football player at the University of Miami, where he played just 24 games. Though he never started a game for the Hurricanes, Nelms earned most of his playing time during his third year on the team while he gained a graduate degree in exercise physiology.
A native of Neptune, N.J., he was a two-time All-ACC selection in track, winning the gold medal at the conference championships in the 60-meter indoor hurdles and the 110-meter outdoor hurdles.