Raiders vs. Saints preview: Marcel Reece shows versatility after playing tailback for first time ever

The Oakland Raiders have one of the most versatile players in all of the NFL in their fullback, Marcel Reece. While in college at the University of Washington, Reece excelled as a wide receiver. However, after being told he would not succeed as a WR in the NFL, Reece converted himself to a tight end. Then, the Raiders asked him to switch positions yet again, this time moving him to fullback, where he has excelled in the NFL, creating match up nightmares for defensive coordinators. Now, as a result of injuries to Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson, Reece is being asked to change positions mid season, and to play a position he has never played before.

Last weekend, for the first time ever, Marcel Reece lined up at the tailback position and acted as the primary running back for the Oakland Raiders. Considering he had never played the position before, Reece did fairly well for himself. His numbers were not great, 13 carries for 48 yards, but he was clearly not a downgrade from what the Raiders had been doing all season at the running back position. In fact, his downhill running style provided a nice bit of relief as he almost never got caught behind the line of scrimmage.

Reece continues to play wherever the coaching staff asks him to, and continues to show that he is one of the most versatile players in all of the NFL. He has the hands and speed of a wide receiver, with the size and center of gravity of a short yardage specialist. For years now, the Raiders fans have been dying to see the Raiders coaching staff use Reece more frequently, and in more scenarios. Now that he is playing the role of starting tailback, Reece will finally have the opportunity to show what he can do if given a good number of touches in a game.