The Oakland Raiders are making their final preparations for the upcoming season. One of the positions left up for grabs was the kick returner. While multiple players have tried their hand this preseason, one player has stuck out to head coach Hue Jackson.
Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez of CSN Bay Area has the report:
"I got one guy in my mind and he's the best in football," Raiders coach Hue Jackson said this week. "His name is Jacoby Ford."
Gutierrez weighs in on the situation as well:
Agree or disagree, Ford has also been conspicuous by his absence. He has been sidelined since July 30 with a broken left hand, suffered on the first day of padded hitting in training camp.
Jackson's praise had to feel good to Ford, considering he has yet to play in an exhibition this summer, though he did dress and take part in pregame warmups Sunday at the O.co Coliseum.
The injury concerns will continually be present until he can prove otherwise, but assuming Ford can stay healthy in 2011, he could be primed for a big season.
As for Jacoby's thoughts on the praise?
"He's giving me the kudos; I'll accept it," Ford said. "That's just the kind of confidence he has in me. I've got his back and he's got mine. We just kind of complement each other that way."
If for some reason Ford was not able to handle the kick returning duties, Shaun Bodiford, Nick Miller, Denarius Moore, Chad Jackson and Taiwan Jones all handled the position in the preseason. None of these players have too much experience in the regular season, but the coaching staff can at least feel confident in the amount of depth the team currently has.
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