Going into last season the Raiders had a few options to choose from at the fullback position. Come the final roster cutdown, just one remained — Marcel Reece. The decision to enter the season with just one fullback on the roster was a curious one. But it wasn’t long before Reece was catching teams off guard and justifying the Raiders’ faith in him.
By midseason Reece’s name was popping up as the Raiders’ “best kept secret” or their “X-factor.” Now ESPN’s Bill Williamson has named him one of the NFL’s most underrated players. Reece is a secret weapon no longer.
Reece has a combination of speed, hands, and blocking abilities rarely found in a fullback. The main reason for this is he was never seen as a fullback prior to last season. He played receiver in college at Washington and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Raiders, who initially had designs on making him a tight end.
Regardless of position, the Raiders saw a playmaker in Reece and he was determined to contribute anywhere the team saw fit.
He stayed on the practice squad until late last season when he was called up to the regular roster. He played two games at tight end and caught two passes for 20 yards.
Then last offseason the Raiders put him in at fullback mostly out of desperation at the position. They had signed two priority undrafted free agent fullbacks in Chane Moline and Manase Tonga. And with the four game suspension of Luke Lawton, the two rookies had every opportunity to take the job as the Raiders’ new starting fullback. But neither rookie fullback could impress enough to make the roster.
Tonga along with a couple of other fullbacks will yet again be given a shot at making the roster. But Reece has become such a fine weapon for the Raiders that they could easily go into the season with him as the lone fullback yet again. Rock Cartwright is the closest thing the team has to a backup fullback but he is the Raiders’ utility player and doesn’t have the bulk or playmaking ability of Reece.
Marcel broke out midway through the season when he had 58 yards of offense and a touchdown in week nine. He followed that up with a 122 yard, one touchdown effort in week ten. He finished the season with 455 yards of offense and 4 touchdowns. His receiving yards and yards from scrimmage were good for sixth on the team. But his overall value can only really be measured in the stats he helped his teammates to put up.
With Marcel leading the way as a blocker, the Raiders were the second best rushing attack in the NFL. He blocked for Darren McFadden for nearly all of McFadden’s 1157 rushing yards. And McFadden and Bush put up a total of 1812 yards rushing, forming one of the best rushing duos in the league.
When Reece was called upon as a receiver, defenses would either have to account for his speed or pay dearly. He was either a mismatch for a linebacker or freed up a wide receiver when a defensive back was assigned to cover him. Either way, someone was open.
The Raiders did not draft a fullback this year to complement Reece in the backfield so it is conceivable that he could yet again carry the load at the position. But the secret’s definitely out. Reece’s dynamic skill set is already causing opposing coaches to alter their game plan to compensate for his presence in the Raider offense. They already know that underrating him is not a good idea. It is time everyone else knew as well.
Follow Levi on Twitter @LeviDamien or befriend him on facebook.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
