Green Bay, Wis. ? Gilbert Brown appeared genuinely happy with how his torn right biceps held up in an abbreviated practice Wednesday, but Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman continues to be wary about the nose tackle’s attempt to play through the injury.

Brown participated in the Packers’ afternoon practice, which included contact work in pads, with his right elbow protected by a device that looked like a scaled-down knee brace.

It was the first practice for the former Kansas University standout since tearing his right biceps where it attaches at the elbow during the Packers’ preseason opener at Atlanta.

“It felt great today, no pain or anything,” Brown said. “I just felt great.”

However, Sherman and Mark Hatley, the Packers’ vice president of football operations, are trying to keep expectations low.

The plan is to increase Brown’s workload gradually in practice this week and then give him a few snaps in the Packers’ preseason game Saturday night against Carolina.

“He wants to do the very best he can to help us, and that’s certainly admirable,” Sherman said. “But we still have to make a smart decision in regard to him and the Green Bay Packers.”

Hatley said: “He’s doing everything he can do. We’ll just have to wait and see. Maybe he’ll get to play this week (against Carolina) and we’ll find out something.”

If Brown makes it through practice this week, his performance against Carolina will go a long way toward determining whether Sherman will risk using a roster spot for him.