Bill Belichick spoke to the media for about a half-hour today, taking a lot of questions about the return of Rodney Harrison. While the reporters seemed agog about Harrison's ability to return so early in camp, Belichick -- dressed in blue shorts with one of his trademark gray sweatshirts, sleeves hacked off just below the elbow -- was characteristically nonchalant. Asked if he was suprised that Harrison came back, he shrugged and said "we don't really have a deadline" for the return of players from injuries, that when they're ready to progress, they're ready to progress.

Belichick said he hopes to use today's session to evaluate whether the players who returned to the team yesterday -- Harrison, Dan Koppen, Richard Seymour, Johnathan Sullivan and Randall Gay, all of whom are in pads today -- are ready to see any action Friday night in Atlanta.

The coach was complimentary toward place kicker Martin Gramatica, who had a little bit of trouble with his boots today. Belichick said Gramatica looks to have the same ability as he did before sitting out last season, and he said Gramatica handles the wind well, adding that the breeze seems to have been more of a factor this camp than in seasons past. He rejected suggestions that he might coach differently without Adam Vinatieri around to make the big kick at the end of the game, saying that if you don't have confidence in your players to make the play for you, then those guys shouldn't be on your team.

Near the end of the session, someone asked Belichick if he makes any free-agent signings of marginal players just so that they can be "fodder" for training camp. The coach said he doesn't look at it that way, and said coaches who quickly cut players without trying to let them contribute take the risk of regretting that decision later.

"There are a lot of players that came into this league and in all honesty weren't very good in their ability to contribute in the short term, who turned out to be pretty good players," Belichick said. "If you want to cut them the first day of camp ... then you can do that, but there's a lot of those guys who you're going to be playing down the road, probably a lot of them could come back and beat you as a matter of fact. You know, they need some time."