Belichick: Patriots are talking to as many if not more players this year

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The draft rules have changed but the game remains the same: Find the best possible incoming players, and go get them.

For the Patriots, who have found a way to turn whatever the rules are into an advantage, the 2020 draft has removed the traditional methods for gathering information — but it has replaced that approach with the ability to contact an unlimited number of prospects up to three times each per week, for up to one hour per conversation.

“It’s a little bit different than the way we’ve done it in the past with the 30 visits and the Pro Days and so forth, but all the teams are working with the same constraints,” coach Bill Belichick told reporters on Monday. “So, in fact, we probably talk to as many if not more players than we have in the past when you’re not traveling and you’re just sitting at a desk or sitting in a room, wherever we are. It’s easier to make a lot of phone calls and get in contact with people rather than sometimes visit a place and just see the people that are there, even though those visits are valuable and you’re able to get into more of an in-depth conversation and evaluation there. So, we certainly have logged a lot of phone time and FaceTime and whatever video conferencing and so forth. You know, again, I think for the most part, we’ve all adjusted to that and tried to take advantage of the opportunity that we have to do those things.”

Surely, they have. Because they always do. Even though the draft ultimately remains a crapshoot, the Patriots know how to shoot crap in a way that helps them find guys who have football skills, who truly love football, and who are willing to submit to the way the Patriots do things.