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If there is a God of football then he/she/it must have had the same reaction we all did when the Oakland Raiders went into the regular season with Kyle Boller as the backup plan. Like all of us the all-powerful being of pigskin must have taken one look at the roster and thought “really?” Unlike us mere mortals that John Madden on high surely wanted to teach the Raiders a valuable lesson.

It’s not coincidence that Boller’s first and only start of last season occurred during the same game in which Darren McFadden was lost for the season. It was a message meant to alert the Raiders of what happens when you go into battle without a Plan-B.

Now on the Boller front, lesson learned. Hue Jackson hit the panic button and even though he’s not around the signing of Matt Leinart indicates there is no desire to ever revisit the Boller disaster. It was obvious on his first pass attempt that the Raiders were headed for a top 10 pick if Boller was going to be the starter for the foreseeable future.

Of course Leinart isn’t exactly like having Steve Young or even Steve Bono carrying the clipboard. But he’s an unquestioned upgrade over the Boller debacle.

While the Raiders have done well avoid another QB disaster they’re now even thinner at a position of even greater risk.

Let’s not kid ourselves on this. The odds of Darren McFadden making it through an entire season without missing a game are longer than the odds of Kim Kardashian having a lasting relationship.

That being said, in the past there was minimal concern if McFadden was out of action. Not that the Raiders got by just fine without one of the league’s premier playmakers but having another back capable of eclipsing the 1,000 barrier in Michael Bush was a luxury.

With Bush gone and (gulp!) Mike Goodson and Taiwan Jones being the next in line all of Raider Nation should be nervous. Goodson did show some promise when he got his chance in Carolina a couple years ago. However his performance wasn’t so amazing that it made the Panthers pause when it came time to re-up with DeAngelo Williams. Goodson didn’t even get a single carry last season.

As for Jones, he’s got all kinds of ability but he’s got a very long way to go until he can be a full-time NFL runner.

Even more alarming is Reggie McKenzie is banking on Owen Schmitt and Marcel Reece to help replace the production of Bush.

Look, I’m as enamored with Reece as the next member of Raider Nation but he’s not even in the same county as Bush in terms of running with the rock. Now on screens, yes, more of that for Reece please!

But Oakland’s thin line between playoff contending and draft prospecting in November isn’t limited to the health of Carson Palmer and Darren McFadden. Behind Jared Veldheer there isn’t anyone reliable enough to trust protecting Palmer’s blindside week-in and week-out. Any injury among the linebackers will create a practice squad all-star team solution, same goes for the cornerback position.

And we haven’t even mentioned what would happen if the season starts and the Raiders suddenly realize they have no viable options at tight end.

Yes, I’m aware that it’s too early to worry about issues that could be irrelevant in September. But I saw the Boller situation coming from a mile away last season and now I’m seeing something similar throughout the roster. McKenzie might not have much money to spend on acquiring depth but he’s got to make sure Dennis Allen has enough bodies to make it through camp. Any injuries to key players early in the season could doom the Raiders and what playoff chances they might have. The line the Raiders walk is that thin and should they slip there will be no safety net waiting.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

The faithful readers of JBB might have realized by now that we’ve been reviewing the Raiders’ roster in alphabetical order. So it’s just plain luck that on the same day Marcel Reece was up for review that he signed his contract tender.

Those same faithful readers of our humble blog also know that I was as critical as any when it came to calling out Reece for his failure to sign his offer sheet and get involved in the voluntary OTAs. It’s not that I think Reece is greedy in any way. Quite the opposite I’m all for Marcel getting what’s due to him. I also realize that these are not the Al Davis Raiders and every man on the roster must prove his worth.

Reece has more than proven that he’s among the most unique talents in the game of football. At the same time he hasn’t proven enough to warrant a holdout before camp. Not when he has yet to cement himself as a starter and not when he has yet to establish himself as a fulltime fullback.

Reece started just 6 games in 2012 playing in a total of 12 contests due to injury. None the less he was able to rack up an unreal 301 receiving yards averaging 11 yards a catch. Safe to say Reece might be the only fullback in league history capable of making a house call with every touch he gets.

It’s also fare to say that Reece is massively underpaid. But that’s what happens when you enter the league as an undrafted free agent. Marcel came into the NFL with no guarantees so after two impressive yet incomplete seasons it’s also understandable why he’s waiting for his first payday.

If things go according to plan in 2012 then Reece will take on an expanded role and truly blossom into the superior talent he is. Or the exact opposite can happen which will give Reggie McKenzie even more reason to turn to vet Owen Schmitt. There is a reason why the Raiders inked another capable fullback after all. Marcel has much to prove to his new boss. That’s why like our roster review today Reece’s timing couldn’t have been any better. His time is now or never. There are only so many opportunities afforded to an individual in the NFL and Marcel was blowing his with a pointless holdout. So long as he takes care of business he’ll get what’s owed to him. Anything less will make Reece nothing more than another Raider folk hero.

Still, its hard to ignore Reece’s continued absence from the team’s voluntary activities. It’s also difficult to understand why this is the first impression he would choose to make with Reggie McKenzie.

Reece has yet to sign his exclusive-rights contract tender for whatever reason. If he somehow thinks he’s deserving of a long-term deal then Reece is fooling himself. As of now all he’s owed is the right to compete for a roster spot. In the grand scheme Reece has proven nothing in the NFL. We’ve seen some amazing playmaking ability but not the total package necessary to be a full-time fullback in the pros.

Yes, Reece is a weapon unlike any other in the NFL. He’s also not so important to the Raiders that they’ll let this one pony stop the show.

At this point Reece is doing more damage to his prospects than those of the team. In short he needs to clock-in and get with the Raiders’ offseason program.

Greg Knapp is installing a new offense. An offense that as of now doesn’t have a defined role for Reece. It’s easy to sit back and play armchair offensive coordinator in that Madden kind of way. The reality is Knapp and the Oakland offensive staff can’t construct a game plan until they have a grasp on all the weapons at their disposal.

By sitting out of these voluntary workouts Reece is making his workload even greater come the start of training camp. He’s also not helping his case in anyway of securing long-term job security.

The reality is Reece is a unique player with a special skill set. But he’s not the only specialist that has ever come into this league. Anyone remember Dante Hall in Kansas City? Once upon a time he was among the select few capable of changing a game with one touch. He also hasn’t played in an NFL game in four years now.

For all we know we could have already seen the best of Reece. His resume isn’t so stunning that NFL teams will be falling over each other in trying to secure the services of a part-time fullback. Reece is deadly in the passing game but isn’t a great blocker and certainly has plenty of room for growth, the kind of growth that begins with OTAs in May and continues into camp before blossoming on Sundays next fall.

Reece is unique talent. No doubt about that. But he’s no Darren McFadden. If Oakland moves forward with Owen Schmitt they’ll be just fine. Now should the Raiders have to rely on Mike Goodson then their hopes of lifting a Lombardi will be greatly affected. McFadden is attendance at every OTA and he has much more at stake.

What excuse does Reece have?

His window to maximize his skill set narrows with each passing day. No NFL team is going to pay top dollar for a fullback no matter his talents. The position doesn’t warrant it. But that doesn’t mean Reece can’t play well enough to earn a healthy pay day. But to do that he’s got to get to work in expanding his role. That’s not going to happen by avoiding the team.