Derek Hagan has more career receptions than any of the six other wide receivers on the Raiders roster. He also outplayed all of his receiver mates during the exhibition season.

Yet, Hagan was among the seven players deactivated for Oakland's season opener against the Denver Broncos.

When asked about the subject Friday, Raiders coach Hue Jackson bristled.

"What he did in the preseason gave him an opportunity to be on this football team," Jackson said. "It did not make him the starting receiver on this football team. So, let's make sure we understand where I was with Hagan."

Jackson said repeatedly that starting jobs and playing time would be based on how players performed in practice and the exhibition games. Hagan led all Raiders receivers with 12 receptions for 224 yards and one touchdown.

"Performance is what matters, and that's what got him on the team," Jackson said. "That's where it starts first. Then, he has to continue to perform and beat some of these guys out and then he'll play."

Hagan, now in his sixth NFL season, said earlier this week that he can't remember the last time he wasn't active for a game.

"Obviously, it was a surprise to me being inactive," Hagan said Wednesday. "I was expecting that I was going to come into the game and help contribute to this team. Obviously, they put me down for that game, but we got 15 more, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next 15."

There's a strong chance Hagan

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will be active for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills in light of injuries to receivers Jacoby Ford (hamstring), Darrius Heyward-Bey (knee) and Louis Murphy (groin).

  • Ford, Murphy and backup safety Mike Mitchell (knee) won't play against the Bills, Jackson said.

    Defensive tackle Richard Seymour (ribs), tight end Kevin Boss (knee), free safety Michael Huff (groin), Heyward-Bey and backup offensive lineman Stephon Heyer (undisclosed) are listed as questionable.

  • Nick Miller is a candidate to add kick-return duties to his job description Sunday. Already, he is slated to return punts and get in some action at receiver.

    Jackson refused to divulge who will replace Ford on kick returns. However, Miller, Rock Cartwright and rookie Taiwan Jones handled that role during practice Friday.

  • Bills backup linebacker Kirk Morrison gets another crack at his former team Sunday. Morrison started 79 straight games for the Raiders from 2005-09 before he bolted to the Jacksonville Jaguars via free agency last season. He was a part of the Jaguars' victory over the Raiders last season.

    Morrison wasn't re-signed by the Jaguars and needed until late August to find another team.

    "He's still learning. He has a long ways to go yet," Bills coach Chan Gailey said.

    Morrison recorded one tackle in the Bills' 41-7 season-opening victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. He failed to start a game for only the second time in his seven-year NFL career.

    Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt was part of the same draft class as Morrison. Their lockers were right across from each other, and they became close friends.

    "Yeah, it was weird not seeing him here last year," Routt said. "It's just another reminder that this is a business, and you're not likely to play with the same team your entire career. It's going to be nice to see him again."