Tony Sparano: "we're going to take our time" activating Rod Streater

Raiders starting receiver Rod Streater returned from partial season injured reserve this week, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will play this Sunday against the Rams. And from the sounds of it, he very likely may not.

"We're going to take our time with that and see where we are with it," Tony Sparano said Friday. "We'll discuss it when we get upstairs. My feeling with that is not different than with DJ [Hayden] when we took DJ off. You really just have to be completely sure that the guy is ready to go. We'll see how it happens. Right now, I don't know whether or not Chris Long is playing, so they don't need to know if Rod Streater is playing."

You have to chuckle a little bit with the gamesmanship Sparano is playing with Jeff Fisher and the Rams pointing out that the Rams are mum on whether they will be activating Chris Long so he won't be revealing anything about Streater's status either. Long has also been on IR: Designated for Return.

Sparano also cites DJ Hayden who was practice for two weeks coming off the PUP list before being activated for a game. Even then, Hayden played just five snaps in his first game back.

In practice Streater working his way back and forth from the scout team to the regular game roster which also could be an indication Sparano is not completely ready to put him back in. Preparation is not just physical but mental and practice reps are the only way to get back into form.

Streater was placed on IR: Designated for Return following week three in New England when he broke his foot.