FOXBORO -- If yesterday’s practice is an indication of things to come in tomorrow’s exhibition game against Baltimore, expect to see backup quarterbacks Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez and rookie Kevin O’Connell get a lot of action.

Tom Brady didn’t practice yesterday.

Head coach Bill Belichick has been impressed with how quarterback Cassel has progressed during the offseason.

“Matt has had a good camp,” Belichick said. “He has had a good year from the offseason program into the spring camps and now in training camp. I think he is operating a little more efficiently and quickly than he has. You would expect that going from year to year. He is in good condition and is throwing the ball well. I think he has had a good camp.”

Along with Brady, active players Kyle Eckel, Rodney Harrison, Sammy Morris, Randy Moss, Mike Richardson, James Sanders, Kelley Washington, Jason Webster and Jonathan Wilhite were not at practice.

Belichick told all of his players to be prepared to see action tomorrow night against Baltimore.

“We have told everybody to be ready to play and I think they are,” Belichick said. “We will make those playing-time decisions either tonight or tomorrow morning.

“Each player has been told to be ready to go. When the decision comes for him to play, then that is a decision we make, not them. They need to be able to make the most out of it. That is how we will handle it.”

He also said his team will not use the option of communicating with defensive players on the field through a helmet receiver in tomorrow’s game.

roblee@projo.com