Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

For some time now there have been rumblings of Taiwan Jones making the switch from offense to defense. Now it seems as if that move is pretty much inevitable as Reggie McKenzie has officially expressed his desire to see Jones become a cornerback in 2013.

In fact McKenzie saw Jones as a better cornerback prospect than an NFL running back when the current Raiders general manager was evaluating talent for the Green Bay Packers. Now the big boss man is pushing for Jones to make a move that could help his career to either sink or swim.

“I’m pushing for cornerback. I think it fits his skill set. I think we’re going to see how he does there.”

In his first two years in the NFL Jones has been largely invisible. Despite the injury issues of Darren McFadden and even when the Raiders were down both Run DMC and Mike Goodson this past season, Jones simply didn’t see the field.

Thus far the only real glimpse of what Taiwan can do was offered in an impressive preseason performance his rookie year. Since then injuries and shaky play have plagued him. A fumble on a reverse during Oakland’s season opener in 2012 all but ended his season. When Marcel Reece was asked to become Oakland’s feature back Jones was passed over as his backup when the team elevated Jeremy Stewart from the practice squad ahead of him.

The reality is this is pretty much it for Jones. He’s already stated his comfort with making the switch as he was originally recruited as a cornerback at Eastern Washington before becoming a play maker at running back. That would indicate even he knows the end is near if he can’t stick as a defender.

While Jones may have the physical ability and a certain comfort level playing the position it doesn’t mean the move will be easy. Learning a new position at the NFL level is not an easy task. Learning to play corner at the NFL level is damn near impossible.

Make no mistake. This is a move of desperation and the end result could be the end of Jones’ pro career. Or it could be the beginning of it. Only time will tell.

Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

Dennis Allen gave Taiwan Jones a chance. And I mean a chance. Jones fumbled a reverse during Oakland’s Monday Night opener against the Chargers and has hardly sniffed the field since.

This past Sunday was the most obvious sign that the coaching staff pretty much wants nothing to do with the speedy running back that was hand picked by Al Davis.

With both Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson out of action, the Raiders turned to former Stanford running back Jeremy Stewart before they gave any looks to Jones. That would be the same Stewart that was elevated from the practice squad prior to Sunday’s debacle in Baltimore.

To be fair Jones was likely never going to be an every down back in the NFL. His worst case scenario was to become a passing down specialist or a change of pace back at best.

Still, given Jones’ skill set you figured there had to be some kind of a role in Knapp’s offense even if all it means is catching the occasional screen or running a draw on third-and-long.

But with each passing week it looks more and more likely that Jones is going to be the next Al Davis castoff. Reggie McKenzie hasn’t wasted much time in trying to erase the final draft class Davis oversaw. That Jones made it this far into the season is pretty amazing all things considered. That he hasn’t found his way out of Allen’s doghouse says it all.

Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Among the many reasons why the Raiders offense has looked so sloppy this preseason are the numerous injuries that have kept key contributors out of action.  One such man Raider Nation has high hopes for is Taiwan Jones who has yet to play in the preseason. That could all change Saturday if the week of practice goes well.

Jones was back in action on Sunday after a long layoff due to a nagging hamstring. His presence has been sorely missed as concerns of keeping Darren McFadden healthy continue to linger the closer the regular season nears.

After seeing Mike Goodson fumble away his silver and black debut one can only hope Jones will fare much better. At this point he’ll need to if he wants an expanded role in Greg Knapp’s offense.

One of the many adjustments Jones is making during his still-young pro career is learning how to practice. Perhaps concerned that Taiwan will tweak his hammy again the coaches have encouraged him to dial it down a notch during practice. Nice to know Jones goes hard no matter the situation but if he becomes good enough to stick around in this league he’ll learn about pacing himself.

For now Jones just needs to concentrate on getting through the week without any setbacks. Currently the plan is for Jones to play against the Lions on Saturday. For the second year runner every snap counts and he’s only got so many preseason opportunities left to impress the coaches enough to trust him during the regular season.