Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL expands program for overseas practice squad players

Published May. 1, 2018 12:07 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) Eight NFL teams will carry on their practice squads a player who came from an expanded program for overseas players.

The International Player Pathway was instituted last year. It aims to provide international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level.

Alex Gray (Atlanta Falcons), Alex Jenkins (New Orleans Saints), Eric Nzeocha (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Efe Obada (Carolina Pathners) participated in 2017 and will return to those NFC South teams.

The NFL announced Tuesday that the AFC North was added this year. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers also will get an exemption for an 11th practice squad member who's ineligible to be activated during the season. Two come from the United Kingdom and two from Germany.

Those players are Moritz Bohringer (Bengals), originally drafted in the 2016 sixth round by Minnesota; German Football League player Christopher Ezeala (Ravens); former British American Football League player Tigie Sankoh (Browns); and former English professional rugby player Christian Scotland-Williamson (Steelers).

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