It may be time to temper expectations for the Patriots’ rookies

In an ideal world, the New England Patriots’ rookie class will save the day and replace the tremendous losses the team had this offseason.

Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Stephen Gostkowski, James Develin, Danny Vitale and Patrick Chung are on a list of players who held positions that will be replaced by rookies. This doesn’t include the void that Rob Gronkowski left — providing another hole that Patriots’ rookies will attempt to seal up.

Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene were all selected within the first three rounds of the draft this year with expectations to make an impact in the 2020 season. Kicker Justin Rohrwasser was selected in the fifth round, with expectations to replace one of the league’s greatest kickers ever in Stephen Gostkowski.

The league-high opt-outs the Patriots had recently led to the rising pressure for these rookies — with the most unorthodox training camp in NFL history. Dugger will be expected to replace production that Chung typically provides and even Keene will be prepared to play at tight end and fullback this season.

Bill Belichick spoke to the media on Friday morning and detailed the ‘turbulent water’ these young players will have to tread.

“They’re in deep water and turbulent water, and it’s going to get rougher, just in terms of the volume and the level of competition and becoming a professional athlete and the full day and consecutive days that get strung together with very high demands both physically and mentally and rest and recovery and all that,” Belichick said, transcribed by NFL.com. “I think all the guys are adjusting to it. They’re all working hard at it. It’s a really hard-working group. They haven’t been any problem. They’re just trying to do the best they can. But they’re swimming. They’re in deep water, and their eyes get opened every day as we move up in the process.”

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the elimination of preseason games, along with strenuous training camp protocol. The Patriots have about a month left until their season opener and the rookies are just trying to learn, while acclimating themselves with the team.

“We’re still a long way from anything close to real football, but we’re doing more now than we were before,” Belichick said. “Each day is an acclimation day, an adjustment day for them, and I think they’re just trying to keep their head above water and try to swim or paddle in the right direction knowing that they’re not able to keep up, but they’re doing the best they can, and they’re way ahead of where they were a week ago, two weeks ago, a month ago, two months ago. A lot of progress there, but a long, long way to go. They’re really all in the same boat. It’s a hard-working, conscientious, diligent group that just … they have a lot that they have to absorb. We’re gonna get a much better evaluation of where they are in the next week or 10 days when things start happening on the football field and we start playing some football.”

Belichick noted that Thursday night would’ve been the Patriots’ first preseason game, but instead they’re not even in position to hold a full-speed practice.

Belichick notes last night would have been the #Patriots first preseason game, and they've yet to hold a full-speed team practice.

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 14, 2020

First-year players typically go through rookie minicamp, minicamp and OTAs before training camp and four preseason games even arrive. The Patriots have relied heavily on communication through video and and phone calls — leading to a lack of in-person training.