Raiders looking to get Marcel Reece more involved (w/video)

ALAMEDA - For a player who generates so much attention from opposing defenses and gets paid handsomely by his own team, Marcel Reece somehow has become the forgotten man on the Oakland Raiders offense.

Reece has touched the ball just four times through two games and been on the field for just more than one-third of the offensive snaps as the Raiders have lost the first two games.

With an offense that lacks playmakers and has been struggling to score points, Reece would seem to be a prime option to spark a winless team.

Offensive coordinator Greg Olson said he always looks for ways to get Reece the ball but for some reason it just hasn’t happened much so far.

“We have to be a little bit aware early in the game of getting him involved early,” Olson said. “ There were things designed to him. … We had some things there it just didn’t end up going there. We’ll continue to find ways to utilize Marcel.”

Reece said that any offensive player wants to get the ball as much as possible but said his frustration is solely on the Raiders’ record and not about how he is being used.

“I’m about winning,” he said. “That’s all it’s about for me. If we’re winning and I don’t touch the ball, I think that sits well with me. We haven’t won yet so I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win and make plays on the field.”

Reece was given a three-year contract extension worth more than $11 million last September, making him one of the highest-paid fullbacks in the NFL.

Reece’s few touches and limited time are somewhat typical for fullbacks . But Reece is far from a typical fullback. He is a converted college wide receiver who had the speed to outrun the New York Jets defense on a 63-yard touchdown run last year and the hands to catch 52 passes in 2012.

“Marcel’s a player that we think can help us,” coach Dennis Allen said. “We’ll try to use him the best that we can and give us a chance to have success.”