The Raiders aren't ready to replace wide receiver Javon Walker just yet, but they are giving two players at least a chance to contribute during his absence.
With Walker sidelined by a surprise knee surgery, the Raiders brought in two receivers - Samie Parker and Drisan James - for a minicamp tryout Saturday.
Parker spent time with four teams last year, catching passes with none. James was on the team's practice squad in 2007.
Raiders coach Tom Cable said their tryouts are directly tied to Walker being out until at least training camp.
"It gives us more sets of legs," Cable said. "If they fit for us, we'll take it from there."
The more vertical the Raiders' passing game is to be - and that's the reason they hired Ted Tollner as passing game coordinator - the more receivers they need. As it stands, draft picks Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy and two undrafted rookies have joined the six returning receivers.
Cable expects the Raiders to carry six receivers on the 53-man roster. Chaz Schilens , Johnnie Lee Higgins and Heyward-Bey are locks. Walker's restructured contract helps his case. All others will scramble for the other slots in training camp.
Walker, 30, is the only receiver over the age of 25.
HIS SIDE: Walker said he did not tell team officials about last month's knee surgery because he didn't want to "bother" them with it before the draft.
He said the right knee has bothered him since 2007 knee surgery in Denver, and that he hasn't felt better than 65 percent healthy. The pain was so significant, Walker said it is why he considered retirement during training camp last summer.
"It was a situation where I was going to make a decision based off what was going to be beneficial for me and it was nothing to do with the team," Walker said. "I basically did this to keep playing the game."
TOUGH DAY: Heyward-Bey was stretched out by a trainer during the morning practice when he "tightened up," Cable said. Heyward-Bey then did not practice in the late afternoon session.
Cable did not talk with reporters after the second practice. A team official said Cable will "get into it" today instead.
BRIEFLY: Left guard Robert Gallery missed practice with a calf strain he got two weeks ago in a conditioning workout. Mark Wilson took his place with the first-team offense. ... Outside linebacker Ricky Brown and offensive guard Paul McQuistan are taking off some practices as they continue to recover from surgeries.
