ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor practiced Thursday for the first time since the emergency surgery on his left calf.

"It felt good to be out here running around a little bit," Taylor said. "But it's only 17 days since we had it done. We'll see how it responds."

Taylor did not take part in all of the drills, and the team was going to be cautious about playing him Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. The leg still has stitches, which Taylor protected during practice by wearing a titanium pad underneath a knee-high black sock.

"It's better than it was yesterday, better than it was a week ago, and hopefully tomorrow will be another step forward and I won't swell up too much," Taylor said.

Even if Taylor plays, he will get limited work. Coach Jim Zorn said the veteran lineman needs to get his conditioning back.

Taylor has missed two games since getting kicked in the calf against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 21. The injury worsened overnight, and the next day he had surgery to drain blood from the leg.

Defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin (shoulder), linebacker Marcus Washington (hamstring) and safety Reed Doughty (back) did not practice. All three appear likely to miss Sunday's game.

Cornerback Shawn Springs, who missed last week's game with a strained left calf, practiced and appears set to play Sunday. Right tackle Stephon Heyer, who has been sidelined with a sprained shoulder, also practiced but was less certain about his prospects.

"I'm trying to get myself to go," Heyer said.