Just five days after being cut by the Raiders, fullback Marcel Reece is starting to try out for prospective teams
The seven-year veteran worked out Friday with the New England Patriots, according to ESPN.
Reece, who had spent his entire career with the Raiders, was suspended for the final game of the 2015 season and the first three games of the 2016 season after violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing drugs in December.
Undrafted out of Washington, Reece played in 92 games during his Raiders career. He carried the ball 183 times for 844 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also caught 205 passes for 2,015 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Following the news of Reece's release, GM Reggie McKenzie, head coach Jack Del Rio and owner Mark Davis issued the following statements:
"I want to thank Marcel as a player and as a person for all that he has given to the Oakland Raiders," McKenzie said in a statement Monday. "What he has meant to the organization and to me over the past few years is hard to put into words, but his actions, both on and off the field, speak louder than any words can. This was a tough decision. Not enough can be said about Marcel's commitment to his teammates and his pride in the Raiders, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best."
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"Marcel was a great teammate and I appreciate him as a player on the field and as a man off the field," Del Rio said. "I wish him all the best moving forward."
"Today is a sad day for the Raider family and entire Raider Nation," Davis said. "My father once said that I would have a tough time running this organization because I was too close to the players, and that rings true today. Marcel Reece has been a pillar of the organization for nine years and was the glue that held us together during a tough transition after my father's passing.
"He helped put us on the upward path we are on today and his leadership will be sorely missed. The motto, ‘Once a Raider, Always a Raider,' has never been more appropriate. When Marcel finishes his playing career, there will always be a spot for him within the Raider organization. Until then, I wish only the best for Marcel and his entire family."
