Patriots happy Harrison on hand

CINCINNATI - The NFL's trading deadline is still a few weeks away, and it generally passes without the deals and excitement that surround baseball's deadline. But the way defensive backs James Sanders and Asante Samuel see it, the Patriots just made a major acquisition.

Welcome back, Rodney Harrison.

"It's going to be exciting," Samuel said late Monday night after the Patriots rolled over the Bengals, 34-13. "He's a key part to our defense. We love to have him here."

"It will be great to have him back," Sanders added. "Rodney is a great leader on this team. We're a lot better team with him, so we're looking forward to that."

Harrison, who served a four-week suspension for violating the NFL's banned-substances policy, was at Gillette Stadium early yesterday morning, greeting players shortly after they arrived home from their win over the Bengals.

He conducted an interview on WEEI radio and said he feels he's mentally and physically prepared to return to action. As for whether he's in football shape, he said that decision will be up to coach Bill Belichick.

The player who figures to be affected most by Harrison's return is Sanders, who has started in his place this season. Now in his third season, Sanders has been credited by the team's coaches with 17 tackles (tied for fifth on the club), and while there were a couple of plays Monday that he did not make, he's rarely been out of position, as evidenced by the lack of big plays made against the Patriots. Sanders's confidence has risen since he started eight games when Harrison was injured last season.

So does Harrison step right in and assume the starting role? Does Sanders hold on to it until Harrison works his way back? Do they platoon?

Defensive coordinator Dean Pees said last week it was too early to tell, which means the answers figure to come on the practice field. A platoon situation, similar to what the Patriots have done at other positions - such as with Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau at weak-side linebacker this season - would appear to be the most likely option at first. The Patriots have a roster exemption for Harrison until Oct. 8 or his activation, whichever comes first.

"Being a competitor, I obviously want to play, I want to be on the field, I want to contribute as much as I can to the team," Sanders said. "But it's not my decision, so whatever the coaches decide, that's what I'll honor and be cool with."

When Harrison's suspension was announced, some wondered if the dynamic of the Patriots' locker room would be hurt, because Harrison is such a strong presence. As it turned out, that wasn't much of a factor. But it doesn't mean players aren't excited to welcome the 14-year veteran back.

"I'm going to give him a big hug," fullback Heath Evans said. "He's definitely a guy I've missed, just in the locker room alone. His personality is contagious, his energy is contagious. He's a guy that I use once a week to make me better on some part of the game. I hold him after practice and just having that aspect back, because if you can block him, you can block anybody. I can't wait to see 37."

Samuel is excited for the on-field impact of Harrison's return, as he was arguably the Patriots' best defender in the preseason.

"He flies around and plays the game with great passion," Samuel said. "He loves it. He plays every down like it's his last. He's going to bring an extra energy to the game."

Sanders remains hopeful Harrison isn't the only player the Patriots might be seeing return in the coming weeks. In two weeks, players on the physically unable to perform list - a group that includes defensive lineman Richard Seymour and receiver Troy Brown - are eligible to begin practicing.

"We're moving in the right direction and now we're starting to get a couple of key players back in the next couple of weeks," Sanders said. "That's going to help our team even more. Hopefully we can keep striving forward and, when those guys come back to the team, they can help us continue to get better."

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.