Teammates Mourn Taylor

ASHBURN, Va. - Sean Taylor's locker has been sealed in Plexiglas. The contents haven't been disturbed, and the stool with his name on it still sits in front.

Clinton Portis can't bear to look at it.

"I stay out of the locker room," Portis said. "My locker is next to his. A lot of guys will be over to the locker and looking up and seeing the picture of Sean. Seeing that locker cased up, seeing that seat sit right there, it's like an emptiness. It's a shock that you can't look up and see him, and won't look up and see him again."

Portis and receiver Santana Moss, the two Redskins players closest to Taylor, and the coach who thought of him as a son spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since the 24-year-old safety was shot to death.

Even as the team inched closer to normalcy with a practice that was livelier than the day before, the comments from Portis, Moss and assistant coach Gregg Williams reinforced how much grieving remains.

"The best way I know how to handle this situation is the way Sean would have handled it," said Moss, who, like Taylor and Portis, attended the University of Miami. "He would have mourned for the moment that we had to mourn, but he would have went out there and laced them up, and played like no other."

The investigation into Taylor's death continued Thursday in Miami, where police have said they suspect Taylor was the victim of a random burglary when he was shot at his home early Monday. Taylor died the next day.

Police also are investigating a possible connection to a Nov. 17 break-in at Taylor's home, but Taylor was such a private man that neither Moss nor Portis knew anything about the first incident.

"That's the type of guy Sean was," Moss said. "You'd never know what was going on with him, good or bad."

Both said it was worth paying attention to Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle, who said Wednesday that he didn't believe Taylor's killing was a random event. Rolle said Taylor had many enemies on the streets of Miami and that "they've been targeting him for three years now."

"Antrel grew up with Sean, he knows the neighborhood, he knows the people," Portis said. "He'll hear more conversations than you would hear or I would hear. ... It doesn't matter if people were targeting him or not, but at the same time we need to find who did it."

A public viewing for Taylor is scheduled Sunday in Miami, and the entire Redskins organization plans to fly to Florida to attend the funeral Monday, three days before a game against the Chicago Bears.

BILLS: Veteran reserve Anthony Thomas is out indefinitely with a torn calf muscle. Coach Dick Jauron said that Thomas is not expected to require surgery.

BRONCOS: Running back Travis Henry said he feels "good enough to play." Henry partially tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 7.

Henry and rookie Selvin Young (knee strain) both practiced Thursday and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is optimistic they'll play Sunday at Oakland.

Andre Hall, though, remains questionable with a high ankle sprain.

CARDINALS: Signed two-time Pro Bowl punter Mitch Berger.

COLTS: Linebacker Tyjuan Hagler was cleared to resume practice after missing four games after suffering a pinched nerve in his neck.

DOLPHINS: Running back Ricky Williams underwent surgery to repair a season-ending injury to his right pectoral muscle.

EAGLES: Donovan McNabb didn't practice and the quarterback's availability this weekend against the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks is still in doubt. McNabb has been sidelined since spraining his ankle and thumb in a win over Miami on Nov. 18.

FALCONS: Right tackle Todd Weiner is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

JETS: Jerricho Cotchery has missed practice all week with an injured right index finger, while fellow receiver Laveranues Coles has been limited by an ankle injury.

PANTHERS: Vinny Testaverde practiced for a second straight day and remained in line to start against San Francisco. Testaverde, 44, missed Sunday's loss to New Orleans after his back stiffened a day earlier.

PATRIOTS: New England has set another standard during their thus-far perfect season: biggest favorite in a road game. The Patriots (11-0) are 20-point favorites at Baltimore (4-7). The previous high was 17 points, set in 1976 with Dallas over Seattle; the Baltimore Colts over the New York Jets; and Patriots over Tampa Bay.

RAIDERS: Quarterback Daunte Culpepper was limited in practice due to a sore quadriceps muscle, but is expected to play this weekend against Denver.

RAMS: A concussion will keep quarterback Marc Bulger out of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Rams elevated quarterback Brock Berlin from the practice squad.

STEELERS: Fulllback Dan Kreider was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

VIKINGS: Receiver Troy Williamson missed practice with headaches stemming from a concussion he sustained against the Giants last week.