Oakland Raiders: Potential surprise cuts and starters

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Dec 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Taiwan Jones (22) warms up before the game against the San Diego Chargers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Taiwan Jones

Surprise Cut

The Raiders have said they are comfortable with keeping their return men the same. They’ve also said they want to give those guys competition. That means Jones could not be the Raiders kick returner next year.

Jones’ role as a backup runner is already in jeopardy thanks to rookie DeAndre Washington who has won lots of hype. Further, the Raiders could use some of their receiver or corner depth to replace Jones in other special teams roles.

Cutting Jones would be a surprise for many reasons. Jones represents the Raiders old way of drafting players based on speed. He is one of the oldest tenured Raiders and one of the most visible. Added, he finally found a role in the offense last season.

Unfortunately, Jones has not been healthy all that often. The 2011 fourth-rounder missed 15 games in the past two seasons. The Raiders may look for a more reliable option.

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