FOXBORO -- The players call it ``bling,'' a manufactured word that will probably eventually find its way into Webster's Dictionary as a definition of jewelry that makes your knees go weak when you see it.

Patriots' coach Bill Belichick calls it symbolic -- and just a fleeting reminder of something that, to him, is dead and buried.

``The rings are symbolic of what the team accomplished, and that's what we all play for,'' Belichick said at the close of Saturday's final minicamp practice. ``It's a prize that you work hard to get so it will be exciting to see it and have it.

``But at the same time,'' he said ominously, ``that will be a short window to enjoy it, because we'll have the '04 season upon us.''

The players and coaches will be convening tonight at team owner Robert Kraft's Brookline home to receive their Super Bowl rings, designed and manufactured by Jostens as were their 2001 rings. Then there will be a little down time for the Patriots before training camp begins -- an uncharacteristically late July 29 start because of how the calendar fell this year. Belichick, despite his attempts to remain unemotional about the unofficial start of the 2004 season, clearly enjoyed the opportunity to see players on a field again.

``It's always kind of an exciting time as a coach,'' he said, ``because you're really seeing things going on on the field, it's not just names on a board or X's and O's on a piece of paper. We've got a lot of work to do, a long way to go, but it's good to see the team back out on the field, and making some progress.''

Belichick said he was staying the course in preparing the team for the defense of their Super Bowl XXXVIII championship. The Patriots have been in this position before, and went 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 2002 after beating the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, but he said he saw no reason to draw upon those examples in preparing for what he sees as a separate experience.

``We've got to rebuild and re-establish everything we do,'' Belichick said. ``We're not taking anything for granted. We know there's great competition out there and a lot of good teams, good players ... we're going to be tested every week.

``There's no shortcut to the process,'' he said.

But for the time being, the juggernaut will be parked in a rest area, looking to refresh itself for the defense of its championship.

Making the effort

Veteran wide receiver J.J. Stokes bounced on and off the Patriots' roster last year, rejoining the team for the Super Bowl but not being activated for it.

It would seem the odds of his making the 2004 roster would be stacked against him with veterans Troy Brown, David Patten, Deion Branch, David Givens and Bethel Johnson in place and rookie P.K. Sam expected to make a run at a roster spot. But never let it be said that Stokes, who caught just about everything thrown his way in the three-day minicamp, isn't making the effort to stick around.

``He's been here from Day One and worked hard all the way through, and I think that's shown up out here on the field,'' Belichick said. ``J.J.'s got excellent size, good hands, a lot of experience and he's had a lot of production, so I think it will be a really competitive group. ``But you know how that goes,'' Belichick added. ``What's depth in June? There were games that we finished where we had only two or three healthy receivers in the game, so it doesn't really mean anything.''

Quick kicks

Among the players not on the field Saturday morning were running backs Kevin Faulk and Cedric Cobbs and wide receiver Deion Branch. ``We have a lot of different players who are in different stages of participation, and they would fall into that category,'' Belichick said ... Even though it was only a minicamp practice, the coaching stuff does not tolerate ``stupid'' penalties. During a non-defended passing drill, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis assessed a 15-yard penalty because one of the players on the line of scrimmage lined up offsides ...

During a later 7-on-7 drill, wide receiver David Givens made a nice touchdown catch, fending off the physical defense of Ty Law in the end zone for the score ... Credit Roman Phifer with a good defensive play to deny Daniel Graham a touchdown catch during a two-minute-drill series, but Graham come back on the next play to make a TD catch all alone in the end zone ...

Belichick on the preparedness level of his players at the conclusion of the mandatory minicamp: ``It's been pretty consistent. It can always be better,'' he said.