I think it's very important that we be able to get some work.

If it's a possibility that being out there, I can't damage it any worse, then I'll be out there.

If you ask me, there's no doubt about it, I'll be out there, ... Again, it's just being able to see how your body reacts to an up-tempo practice. It's a good thing now, but we'll see how it feels in the morning.

I'm a little banged-up. It would be great to go out and not have any injuries, but in life, you have adversities.

Whatever happened in the past, hopefully it's over.

Now you look at it and you say, 'These guys seem to have their timing together. Why is that?' Because we spend time together.

For a guy that doesn't complain, that works extremely hard and really never receives credit for the things that he does for this team ... it's tough. We've all been injured, but this kind of an injury, with surgery -- you never know what can happen afterwards.

This is a time to get better and we try to use this preseason as kind of a stepping stone to take short steps to be ready by the time the season comes around.

Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes.