LAwrence Tynes has been reduced to the role of armchair fan along with the rest of us as the new NFL season kicks off this weekend.

The Greenock-born kicker, winner of two Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants, is back in his home in Kansas recovering from an MRSA infection after an ingrown toenail failed to heal, and he could lose his roster spot with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Not much has gone right since he left the Giants at the end of last season, second-top scorer in the NFL. A free agent, the 35 year-old looked to be heading to the San Francisco 49ers but that did not work out and it took an injury to Connor Barth, the Tampa kicker, for an opportunity to open up. Tynes had two or three other offers but a return to Florida, where he went to high school and where his parents still live, was attractive.

His new team will continue to pay his $840,000 salary but he is in dispute over his injury status with the franchise saying it was a "non-football" injury and Tynes claiming he picked up the infection at the team's training base (team-mate Carl Nicks was also affected). If that whole episode is unsavoury (even Tynes' wife Amanda tweeted a picture of her ailing husband to dispute Tampa's claim that he was responding well to treatment), then the latest British player to join the league is rewriting the profile of an NFL player.

Menelik Watson, born and raised in Manchester, had ambitions to play for Manchester City when he was growing up. He then turned his attentions to basketball, before eventually ending up in the NFL.

The 24 year-old could make his regular-season debut for Oakland Raiders at Indianapolis Colts on Sunday just two years after taking up the sport. As if that learning curve was not steep enough, he could start at left tackle, a postion he has only played once before, in last week's pre-season defeat at Seattle Seahawks. Only a knee injury - sustained at practice on Wednesday - will keep him out but he will be given the chance to prove his fitness.

Head coach Dennis Allen was impressed with the way he conducted himself against the Seahawks, though some observers feel the rookie will be out of his depth once the action starts for real.

"I didn't see guys running around him left and right," he said, "I didn't see him make a lot of mental errors. I think that, for the first time out, in this tough environment, he gave us something solid to improve on."

Watson, a second round draft pick and 42nd overall (the highest ever British player), does not appear to be a rabbit in the headlights in spite of all he has had to learn in the last few weeks. "There's a lot of room for improvement, which in itself is a good thing," he admitted. "I felt comfortable in my assignments and what I was asked to do, but I needed to do better in several instances, especially against the run.

"I don't think I was out of sorts or anything. I know there'll be a lot of mistakes on the game film, but that in itself will be a good learning experience. The whole week has been a plus, and it definitely gives me something to build on."

After two years of college basketball in New York, he realised - at 6'5" - that he was too short to make it as a power forward in the NBA and went on to Saddleback College in California where he first tried out for American Football two years ago. He won a scholarship to Florida State University where he started 12 of 13 games at right tackle for Florida State Seminoles in 2012, allowing just one sack.

Oakland regarded him highly enough to make them their second round pick on the draft.

He suffered a calf injury in training camp but recovered in time to play himself into contention for the start of the season.

Starter at left tackle Jared Veldheer tore a muscle and was ruled out for the first few weeks, veteran Alex Barron was cut and thus Watson was given his chance.

Having another British-born player can only help the league extend its horizons. It is no secret that the NFL want a London franchise at some stage in the future and there are two sold-out games at Wembley this autumn - Pittsburgh Steelers against Minnesota Vikings on September 29 and Jacksonville Jaguars against San Francisco 49ers on October 27. The British influence on the NFL is only getting stronger.