Most of the walking wounded returned to practice at Redskin Park on Friday, but cornerback Shawn Springs didn’t. Coach Jim Zorn wasn’t optimistic about having Springs, who reinjured his left calf late in Thursday’s practice, available for Sunday’s game against Cleveland.
”It’s probably not good, but I’m hoping,” Zorn said.
Springs, who declined comment, missed the Week 1 loss to the New York Giants with an ailing shin and the Oct. 5 victory at Philadelphia with the strained calf. The good news for the defense is that cornerbacks Carlos Rogers (calf) and Fred Smoot (groin) and safety Chris Horton (ankle) all practiced Friday.
“We do have some nicks, but I felt like they moved around pretty good,” Zorn said.
Smoot, who was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, will start if Springs can’t. Rogers was limited on Wednesday and didn’t work Thursday.
“I’m going to play,” Smoot said. “I’ve got to find a way.”
Jason Taylor didn’t practice for a second straight day because of swelling in the left calf he had surgery on last month, but he and Zorn are both optimistic that he’ll play. That’s also true of NFL rushing leader Clinton Portis (hip) and Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels (knee, ankle) who returned on Friday after sitting out on Wednesday and Thursday. Top special teams tackler Khary Campbell (calf) worked Friday after being limited the previous two days.
Heyer hoping to return
Stephon Heyer wasn’t supposed to make the Redskins as a rookie free agent in 2007. Even after he did, Heyer didn’t figure to play. However, injuries to veteran right tackles Jon Jansen and Todd Wade made Heyer a starter in six games, including the playoff loss at Seattle. Heyer’s roll continued this summer when he unseated longtime starter Jansen.
However, Heyer sprained his right shoulder against Arizona on Sept. 21. He aggravated the injury the next Sunday while blocking on a kick and didn’t return to full practice until this week when he filled in for Samuels on Wednesday and Thursday. So Jansen will start a fourth straight game Sunday. It’s unclear who’ll start going forward.
“There’s still some soreness, but I’m pretty much there,” Heyer said. “I could go out there and perform. They’ll put me in when they put me in. It’s not up to me so it doesn’t matter what I think.”
The hometown team
Redskins middle linebacker London Fletcher and backup defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery are both Cleveland natives who haven’t forgotten the Browns’ leaving town after the 1995 season and not returning until they re-emerged as an expansion team four years later.
“It was very weird when they were gone,” Fletcher said. “On Sundays it was like, ’Who do you cheer for?’ ”
Montgomery had a ready answer to that question.
“Definitely not the Ravens,” he said.
Fletcher still returns to Cleveland in the offseason. Montgomery said his cell phone began ringing nonstop as soon as the Browns upset the Giants in Week 6.
“All of a sudden, everybody started calling me and talking trash,” Montgomery said. “The whole city thinks they’re on their way to the Super Bowl now. It’s going to be fun. Everybody back home is going to be watching so hopefully I can make some plays. I got a little momentum I can build on.”
New guys up to speed
Safeties coach Steve Jackson said although Mike Green hasn’t played in nine months, the veteran safety will be available against the Browns because he played in defensive coordinator Greg Blache’s system in Chicago from 2000-03.
Running backs coach Stump Mitchell said much the same about Shaun Alexander, who was away from the field as long as Green but played his previous eight seasons in Seattle, where Zorn served as quarterbacks coach.
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