Bill Belichick spoke with reporters about the Patriots' rookies.

With past names like Jakobi Meyers, David Andrews, or Malcolm Butler; it seems every year there is an undrafted free agent watch, as Patriots rookies battle for a spot on the 53 man roster. 2020 however, is going to be different.

Normally at this point, the Patriots have spent May training and have played their second preseason game. Rookies have made an impact and given Belichick something to think about. With covid delaying the start of the offseason training, rookies did not have that chance this year and are behind. 

One good thing however, is this year four practice squad players are supposed to be untouchable. Meaning the other teams cannot sign them away from the Patriots. This may help the rookie class.

Bill Belichick spoke about the rookies recently and what he said didn't leave much hope for any of the rookies. While it's doubtful Dugger, Keene, and Asiasi have to worry, the rest might not have a chance. Here's what Bill said.

“I think all of our rookies have worked extremely hard. I mean, 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 the consecutive days that get strung together with very high demands, both physically, mentally and rest and recovery and all that. I think all the guys are adjusting to it. They’re all working hard at it. It’s a really hardworking group. There haven’t been any problems. They’re just trying to do the best they can, but they’re swimming.”

So basically the rookies have to go one hundred and ten percent to get the attention of the staff with the limited time they have. Bill did give a time table on when he'd have any sort of idea to what rookies had a chance.

“It’s a hardworking, conscientious, diligent group and they have a lot that they’re going to have to absorb. We’ll get a much better evaluation of where they are in the next week to 10 days when things start happening on the football field and we start playing some football.”

So for the next ten days, it's Superbowl week for the Patriots rookies. Anyone not going balls to the walls, is not going to make this roster. Once the Patriots start to get to their team scrimmages, it will be too late for some of these rookies. Without the four preseason games, these rookies really have no chance.

(The NFL should add all four games to the schedule and limit the time of starters over the first four weeks to a quarter; Keeping the 90 man roster over that span but that is a different story.)

For the NFL as a whole, this might end up being one of the worst draft classes due to covid-19 and things are only looking worse for 2021.