When Raiders training camp began, Taiwan Jones’ future was unclear.
Jones, a special teams standout in 2013, suffered a foot injury in Game 1 of the 2014 season and quickly disappeared. And, as summer training camp began, the former running back – who’d been converted to cornerback – had been switched back to running back and was buried on the depth chart behind Latavius Murray, Trent Richardson and Roy Helu Jr.
Then as camp progressed, undrafted free agent Michael Dyer emerged, looking as if would earn a roster spot.
But Richardson and then Dyer were released, and Jones made the team as a running back. He’ll now return to his role as a gunner on kick and punt returns, as a change-of-pace running back and the team’s No. 1 kick returner.
When the Raiders open the 2015 season Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals at O.co Coliseum (1:25 p.m.), Jones has a chance to make an impact all over the field.
New offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave loves Jones’ speed and burst, and wants to put Jones into position to make plays. He’s promised to develop special schemes to take advantage of Jones’ skills in certain situations.
“He’s got speed to burn,” Musgrave told the San Francisco Chronicle recently. “He’s done a nice job learning our system. I feel like he has very few mental errors and it’s hard to replicate speed like that. It’s hard to simulate that in practice. So, when he gets in the game he can definitely have an advantage against some defenders.”
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Said Jones of his new role: “Musgrave is really smart with how to do things, and I fit what he wants to do well. I’m excited what he has planned for me. I feel like I am going to contribute a lot to this offense.”
Jones carried five times for 27 yards (a 5.4-yard average) during the preseason and also caught three passes for 12 yards. He’s also penciled in as the team’s primary kick returner this season after beating out Trindon Holliday, Devon Wylie and George Atkinson III. Jones returned just one kickoff in exhibition games for 27 yards.
Special teams coach Brad Seely, too, will have Jones as one of the best kick- and punt-coverage players in the league. His combination of speed and tackling ability was exceptional in 2013.
“I’m excited about having Taiwan,” said Seely. “He’s one of the better special teams players in this league because No. 1, he’s tough, No. 2, he’s extremely fast and No. 3, he wants to be a good football player. If you have all those things all converging, you’re going to have a good football player. We can’t have enough of those.”
