Things might be looking up for the Browns injury-riddled secondary.
Left
cornerback Leigh Bodden walked onto the practice field Friday without a
cumbersome walking boot on his tender right angle. He did wear a small brace,
but it was nothing compared to the boot that forced him to miss practice
Wednesday and Thursday.
Bodden
said he won't know until a couple hours before kickoff Sunday whether he will
play against the Panthers. He is improving and remains hopeful.
"I want to
play," he said. "I'm getting better. Hopefully I'll feel better in two days than
I do now. I'm going to be smart, but I feel like I can bounce back and play."
Bodden
rated his chances of playing against the Panthers as 60-40 on the positive side.
When he was not in meetings or watching practice he was in the trainer's room
trying to get better.
"I was
here until 7:30 one night," he said. "I used everything they have in there -
laser, ice, getting on my toes to do calf raises - everything."
Gary Baxter, the right cornerback, won't talk about his situation. He missed two
straight games with a pectoral injury.
Baxter and
Bodden watched the portion of practice that was open to the media Friday.
Coach
Romeo Crennel said Justin Hamilton probably will not play Sunday. Hamilton wore
a boot and was on the sideline for practice Friday.