Jackson says why Raiders WR Hagan was inactive

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Sept. 16, 2011GUTIERREZ ARCHIVE
RAIDERS PAGERAIDERS VIDEOFollow @PGutierrezCSN
Paul Gutierrez
CSNCalifornia.comALAMEDA -- It wasn't quite Tony Montana in the hot tub going all, "Who put this thing together? Me, that's who. Who do I trust? Me." But it was close to a seminal scene from "Scarface." And it was entertaining.Hue Jackson had been asked what, exactly, went into his thinking when he did not activate receiver Derek Hagan for the Raiders' season opener at Denver on Monday night.
"OK, let me, because this has come up several times, about Hagan," Jackson said. "I just said Hagan's done a great job and obviously he was our leading receiver in the preseason, right? But I never once said he's the best receiver on our team. I never once said that. What he did in the preseason gave him an opportunity to be on this football team. It did not make him the starting receiver on this football team. So let's make sure we understand where I was with Hagan."Now, if he gets an opportunity this weekend, he gets an opportunity. But I get to make that decision. Nobody else. Me. So everybody else who thinks I was supposed to put him out there because he was our leading receiver in the preseason, forget that we had other guys that have been very good receivers on this team. So I get to make that decision. That's the decision I made last week and on we go. Now, if he plays this week, he plays."Truth be told, no one said Hagan should have been the Raiders' No. 1 receiver. Many were taking Jackson's training camp cues that production should equal playing time."Yeah, but here's the deal," Jackson said. "You said that, 'Performed the best.' No doubt, but we had some other guys that hadn't practiced that I've seen perform in games and make big plays. i.e. Jacoby Ford."So, you guys were like, I'm supposed to sit him down, sit Jacoby Ford down, and let this kid play. No, that's not where I was. So, let's make it clear about what that was. That was for him to get on the team. Performance is what matters, and that's what got him on the team. 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. That's the way it works. OK, anything else?"Got it? Good.

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