They don’t know what they don’t know. It’s a longstanding phrase Patriots coach Bill Belichick has used to describe wet-behind-the-ears rookie classes, and this year’s group of first-year players is no different. Many of the 22 rookies who entered Gillette Stadium this spring were college stars last year. Now, the ones that remain have been relegated to the bottom of the football totem pole again, mostly overwhelmed by everything that comes with life in the league.

After a rookie minicamp session and a series of full-squad workouts that concluded late last week, it’s tough to read too much into what transpired. In truth, they were a series of practices in shorts and T-shirts — the real measure of a man comes when the pads go on for two-a-days at training camp in July.

But after a series of spring non-contact drills, it didn’t matter if you’re a first-round pick like Devin McCourty or an undrafted rookie free agent like Ross Ventrone, the first-year players were able to pick up a few things, and get at least a small taste of what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

The first lesson? Learn your playbook, because now, this more than just a game. Now, it’s a job.

“Right now, as a rookie, I just have to make sure every night I go home and get in the playbook,” said McCourty. “One good thing is right now, it’s different than college because you don’t have classes or anything. So you go home, and study the playbook, and that’s how you pick it up.”

“Right now, it’s a day-by-day thing,” said linebacker Brandon Spikes. “Sometimes you have setbacks, and sometimes you get it, it just clicks for you. So I think if I just stay on top of it, just being a bookworm, it will come eventually. Right now, it is like a little whirlwind, but it’s going to come.”

“It's complex,” said wide receiver Taylor Price. “Compared to our playbook at Ohio, there’s a lot more stuff to learn, and this is a professional level. Obviously, it's going to be tougher than college, so take it all in stride and learn as much as possible.

“[The next six weeks] I just know I'm going to keep my nose in that playbook, keep watching film. This is all I have, just football now, so keep learning, and try to get on the field as fast as possible and make plays.”

Price had the point hammered home on Thursday when he strolled off the field alongside coach Bill Belichick. The two were seen talking … well, Belichick was talking, Price was listening. What did the coach say, Taylor?

“Just keep learning, just keep learning,” Price recalled. “And just keep studying that playbook.”

The second lesson? Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from someone at your position. The alternative is getting publicly aired out by a position coach in front of the rest of the offense or defense. To that end, there were several occasions where veterans could be seen taking younger players aside and engaging in a little teaching, both during and after practice.

“Little things — details of position, coverages, how you line up,” said Price. “Just the little nuances of the details. Obviously, they’ve been here for a while. I’m just a rookie, so I’ve got a lot to learn and they’ve got a lot that they can teach me. I'm trying to absorb as much as possible.”

“Since the vets came back, they’ve been helping me with all the smaller things, just making sure I stay on top of stuff day by day and stuff we did in the past,” Spikes said. “They show me all the smaller things that help them play a lot faster — the keys, pre-snap reps...

“[Jerod] Mayo, he does a great job of getting everybody lined up, and I just try to follow his footsteps. I try to pick up after him.”

“It’s great having Steve here. He’s been through the whole ordeal — he knows exactly what I’m going through,” said offensive lineman John Wise, a former collegiate wrestler and undrafted free agent who was seen getting pointers from veteran offensive lineman and former college wrestler Stephen Neal. “When he sees something I’m doing, I’m sure he can relate to it. He can show me ways to better myself.”

And lesson No. 3? Remember to keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut. You don’t know what you don’t know.

“It’s just like freshman coming into college — we’re rookies,” said Ventrone. “We’re just trying to make the best of our opportunity and learn the system as good as we can right now, and hopefully, just keep furthering our ability.”