Oakland Raiders rumors: Maurice Jones-Drew could return punts
By Bryan Rose
With Darren McFadden on the Oakland Raiders roster (I can hear the groans from here), one would assume that if a running back was to field kicks, he’d have first crack at it.
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That appeared to be the case earlier this offseason as McFadden fielded kicks during mini-camp though Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen says it could be Maurice Jones-Drew fielding punts this season.
“We don’t have anyone set at that position, and he did some of that when he first came into the league,” Allen said. “He’s done it at a high level.”
“We’re going into this camp with an open mind, to find players that can help us in every phase. That’s a spot were Maurice can potentially help us, and I want to take a look at it. We’ll see. It may be something that works out for us or it may not.”
While Maurice Jones-Drew doesn’t look the typical part, he has had success with the position as Allen notes. Of course, the last time he fielded any punts was during the 2012 season and the last time he fielded more than two in a season was 2008.
So while Dennis Allen and the Oakland Raiders want to keep an open mind on the situation, it’s likely that Maurice Jones-Drew would only be used as a punt returning in an emergency capacity – especially if he’s named the starting running back as many expect.
For now, it seems as if the Raiders are simply trying to see what works.