Patriots rookie Brandon Meriweather. 

First taste

Rookie Meriweather learns the ropes

NFL. Nearly 6,000 fans decided to forsake their usual house of worship yesterday morning for a trip to the Church of Bill Belichick and Day 3 of Patriots’ training camp.

Those disciples who braved the heat and humidity at Gillette Stadium had their first opportunity to see rookie defensive back Brandon Meriweather, who, after signing a five-year deal over the weekend, was making his first public practice appearance. (Saturday’s practice session was closed to fans because of the colossal country music show taking place inside the stadium.)

In yesterday’s morning session, the former University of Miami defensive back appeared to split time between cornerback and safety, but spent an extended stretch in man coverage at corner going against veteran receiver Wes Welker and appeared to hold his own, even managing to knock a pass away from the veteran wideout.

At most positions under Head Coach Bill Belichick, rookies are brought along slowly, usually accruing time on special teams and only getting occasional reps with the starters. Only one rookie in the Belichick era — 2005 first-round pick Logan Mankins — started every game his first season in the league.

But in recent years, Belichick has been quicker to throw young defensive backs immediately into the fray, with Eugene Wilson, Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs all seeing significant playing time as rookies.

The jury is still out on Meriweather — a lot will likely depend on how long Samuel holds out, as well as the overall health of veterans Rodney Harrison and Randall Gay, two DBs who haven’t played consistently since 2004 because of injury. But no matter where he plays, the rookie with just a few days under his belt knows he’s facing a steep learning curve.

“I can get a lot better. A lot lot better, actually,” he said afterward. “I’m not performing how I want to perform. I still have the playbook to learn. And I expect my chemistry with the team to build, so I have a lot to do.”

As an NFL rookie, you always have a lot to do. Whether it’s toting veterans equipment or trying to study a playbook four inches thick, being an NFL rookie can be a bit of an overwhelming experience, right down to the clear dictum they face at the start of training camp.

“Be seen and not heard,” quarterback Tom Brady said with a smile yesterday. “Just be quiet and follow the veteran leaders on the team. Whenever you see a guy like Rodney Harrison or Tedy Bruschi or Mike Vrabel doing, just follow what those guys do, and you’ll be just fine.

“You can tell them, but a lot of times, young guys … Coach Belichick likes to [tell rookies], ‘You don’t know how little you know.’ That about sums it up.”

To that end, Meriweather has made sure to keep his eyes open and his mouth shut these last few days, listening to Harrison.

“He’s just like my big brother — more like my Dad,” Meriweather said with a laugh when quizzed about Harrison. “He’s great. He’s great. He’s awesome. He and the rest of the defensive backs, the defensive lineman and linebackers … the team in general is just great.

“They just tell me to be myself. Stay in the playbook, that’s what they say, most of all. I think that’s the most important advice, anyway.”