(What's the word on Brady's injury?)
Brady Poppinga has some unusual swelling in his leg, but his range of motion and everything is fine, so they're just being safe with him. He will see Dr. McKenzie again in the morning, and his practice participation will be determined then. I really don't know if he's going to be able to go or not. If you talked to Brady, he'd tell you he's ready to go.
(Do you feel more optimistic about having Jordy?)
I feel better. I thought Jordy looked good today. He took some returns. I think he'll definitely have an opportunity to be up this week.
(Will Tauscher work out before the end of the week?)
Mark feels good. Just like anytime a player comes back off an injury, the last hurdle is clearance from the medical staff. He'll see Dr. McKenzie again in the morning. I had a chance to visit with Mark before his workout down on the field in the Hutson Center. He feels really good about it, the swelling and so forth. Obviously he has history here and has history with knee injuries, so I think he's pretty much in tune with his body. A longshot this week, but I think he'll definitely be ready next week.
(How far has Brad Jones come in this time, considering he didn't pass his physical at the start of training camp?)
I think he's made steady progress from the day he got back on the field. You could always see the instincts, his athletic ability. He's been productive on the special teams. I feel like he's improved with every opportunity he's been given there, and now he potentially has a big opportunity for this week's game. He's getting better by the day. He's just like a number of our younger players. He will benefit from the opportunity of live game experience.
(Is it far to say he's getting more work at left outside linebacker than Thompson?)
Um, I would say that's potentially accurate. I'm going to try to keep my competitive advantage, but we're preparing for both of those guys, yes.
(With Kampman, does he have to pass his test on Friday or can he go all the way to Sunday to decide?)
It's a five-step or three-step ... it really depends on where Dr. John Gray ranks him or rates him. They had the preliminary test that they take. Until he completes that process, he will not be on the football field. He's further away than you might think. We're always going to err on the high side with our players. I think we've done that in Ted's time here and my time here. Until he completes the different tests, there's a point where you want to get back on the practice field. He hasn't worked out in the weight room yet, so that tells you where he is.
(He made it clear the situation had nothing to do with the coaches or medical staff, but do guys need to be more vigilant and recognize when something might be wrong? He and Barbre both kept playing Sunday after getting a concussion ...)
We all understand the priority of player safety, and once again, that is at the forefront of all these medical decisions. But it's also the game of football. When you're dealing with head injuries, it's hard to decipher sometimes, did you get dinged or do you have a concussion? There's lines in everything in life, and no different with levels of injuries. We just felt when Aaron got to that point, and the first I heard Kevin Greene stating that he wasn't right, Pepper checked him out, and we pulled him out of the game. There's really no reason to try to place blame, because it wasn't clear, obviously, because when it was evident he was removed from the game.
(But you guys have no way of knowing unless he demonstrates he's not with it, or he tells you?)
Clearly, yes.
