"They were some of the best players on [their college] team, and they
were most experienced," Bill Belichick said of the newcomers.
"Now, they're the least experienced. Now, they're freshman all over
again. The elevator starts at the bottom, and they have to ride it up
again."
Twenty-six participants were on hand for Friday morning's initial session, with 12 draft picks, nine undrafted free agents and five tryout members. They wore helmets and shorts and went through a series of drills that resembled a shell of a regular-season practice.
The purpose of the weekend is to familiarize the rookies with the Patriots' system, terminology and expected work ethic. When it's all said and done, the coaching staff will give each of them a list of improvements they must make before returning for the next camp in a few weeks. After the thrill of getting drafted or receiving an invite to an NFL camp, the rookies have to get stripped of their pride and realize they don't know anything about anything anymore.
That doesn't mean the rookies could contain their excitement, though. They've been working for this moment over the course of their lives, and their first day in an NFL uniform is something they'll always remember.
"There were a lot of emotions, a lot of excitement," second-round draft pick Jermaine Cunningham said. "When it really set in, [I was] just focusing on being a Patriot, get back here and work hard."
The practice session also helped the rookies move on from a stressful draft process.
"Obviously, you go through the last few months, training for the combine, so it's fun to finally get out here and play football again, get to know the plays a little bit, and the schemes and stuff like that," seventh-round pick Zac Robinson said. "It was good to just get out here and start playing again."
The rookies have meetings and film sessions before and after each practice, so the coaches can judge their ability to process information. There is one more practice Friday afternoon, two more Saturday and then a fifth on Sunday. All practices are closed to the public, and Sunday's is closed to the media.
There's no break after this weekend, though. The pressure really begins when the rookies take their playbooks home and study them to prepare for the full-roster camps later in May. The younger guys won't be expected to be completely up to speed at that point, but the coaches and veterans don't want them holding the team back in practice and meetings.
Naturally, it's a whirlwind, starting with a tour of the facility and an immersion into life as a professional athlete.
"I'm just happy to be here," second-round pick Brandon Spikes said. "I'm fortunate to be a part of something great like this. The tradition here is phenomenal. Just walking in the facility, you can just tell. There are pictures all around. I asked Coach, 'What are those pictures about?' He said, 'All those wins. Each picture.' There are pictures everywhere all in the building. Just to see that, I feel like I'm fortunate. I'm blessed to be here. I'm ready to get better, be a Patriot and do it the right way."
