Javon Walker Had Surgery Without Telling the Raiders

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker had knee surgery last month. No surprise there; hundreds of NFL players have surgery each offseason. But here's the odd twist: Walker didn't inform the Raiders that he was having the procedure.

It's not completely clear what is wrong with Walker's right knee -- the same knee he injured in 2007 -- but it's serious enough that he isn't able to participate in this weekend's minicamp and won't be ready to go until training camp starts in July. And whatever is wrong with the knee, it's particularly odd that Walker apparently didn't bother to tell the Raiders until a few weeks after the operation.

Still, Raiders coach Tom Cable tells the San Francisco Chronicle that he thinks Walker did the right thing by getting the surgery -- just not by declining to tell the team about it:

"We just found out about it," Cable said. "Yeah, it is a little bit uncommon but we're aware of it now and it was probably the right thing to do and get it cleaned up."

Walker signed a six-year, $55 million contract with the Raiders last off-season, but he may have trouble just making the team this season, especially after the Raiders spent a first-round draft pick on another wide receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey. Sitting out minicamp after a secret surgery isn't exactly the best way for Walker to start making a case that he deserves a roster spot.