FOXBORO -- The men who protect Tom Brady and open holes for Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney form a unit still in flux, but it doesn't seem those men put much stock in the long-held notion that chemistry makes an offensive line.

Yesterday, tackle Matt Light and center Dan Koppen asserted that the talent of the Pats' linemen will trump anything they lack in terms of continuity.

"You saw last year where guys went in and out throughout the season," Light said. "I went out early, Dan went out, and you had guys shuffling around at tackle, and that's never an easy thing to do.

"But you know, we got guys here that just work hard and they know that at any time they have to be able to step in and make plays. And right now it's a matter of everybody trying to get their reps and trying to get as many looks as they can to get through the preseason so when we go into [the regular season]. The guys that are still here can step up when they're called on."

Last year, Light suffered a broken right fibula in the third game of the season, at Pittsburgh, the same game in which Rodney Harrison suffered his season-ending knee injury. Koppen started the first seven games of the year before going on the shelf with a dislocated shoulder and needed rotator cuff surgery.

Russ Hochstein stepped into Koppen's spot at center and then-rookie Nick Kaczur teamed with fellow rookie Logan Mankins on the left side of the line.

Despite all the changes, Brady was sacked just 26 times, the same number of times he went down in 2004.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has long sung the praises of longtime offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia for the way he keeps that unit working at peak or near-peak levels, and last year served as proof of Scarnecchia's wizardry.

Koppen came off the PUP list last week but his practice participation is still spotty.

"I'm out here with them, which is better than the last nine months. So I can get out here, I can talk to the guys, I know what's going on, I know what they're doing, I know what they should be doing. So I'm more involved now than I've ever been and, you know, that's going to continue as we go along," Koppen said. "The talent level is there and the guys are dedicated to working hard. We just want to give the runners holes to run through. That's our job and that's what we're going to do."

Koppen also indicated that familiarity among the group is important, even if it's not the same five players taking every rep together.

"Camp's a whole process where you just have to get comfortable with everyone around you. You know during the season injuries can happen so guys have to be ready to fill in like we've done in the past," he said. "This is a good learning experience for us playing with different guys around us and being more comfortable with them, so this is as good a time as any just to start filling in the unit we have and coming together and working together.

"It's tough, but I understand the situation. . . . We're just working to get me back to 100 percent, which is the goal right now."

Warfield's stock rising

Veteran defensive back Eric Warfield garnered a bit of Belichick praise yesterday. The ninth-year pro, signed as a free agent this year after spending his first eight seasons with Kansas City, is among a group of players Belichick said is rising.

"He's improved, especially in the last week to 10 days. He's one of those players that has started to climb, become more consistent and show greater rate of improvement than they did in the first 10 days. So that's been a real positive," said Belichick.

"I think there are a number of players that are in that group -- players that maybe . . . didn't start off as quickly as other players at their position or other players on the team and then in the second half (of training camp) so far, their rate of improvement is greater than some of the other players who improved quicker earlier. But I would definitely put (Warfield) in the 'starting-to-rise' category."

The 30-year-old Warfield has 20 career interceptions. He played just 11 games last season and served a four-game NFL suspension after a drunken-driving conviction. He has since stopped drinking alcohol.

They meet again

Matt Cassel will be opposing a familiar face on Saturday: Matt Leinart. The two were teammates at USC, and battled for the starting quarterback position that eventually went to Leinart. Leinart went on to win the Heisman Trophy and was taken 10th in the draft by Arizona this year.

Cassel said their QB competition, in advance of the 2003 season, was "day to day" at times, and the final choice was not made until well after spring practice. But once the decision was made, the two became friends and were road roommates.

The Cardinals plan to play Leinart at least a quarter, Cardinals coach Dennis Green said yesterday. Kurt Warner will start, followed by Leinart in the second quarter, and John Navarre in the third.

"I've never been to an NFL game," Leinart told the Associated Press, "and my first game I'm going to be playing in. It's pretty cool."

Squib kicks

Players took to the field for the morning practice in full pads; in the evening, it was just shoulder pads. . . . Brady did not take part in the morning session, but was on the field for the night practice. . . . Today is the final day of training camp and last public practice session. It is scheduled from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

smanza@projo.com / (401) 277-7340