FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – The New England Patriots expect big things from Brandon Meriweather, so the rookie defensive back wasn’t surprised with his heavy workload in the preseason opener.

The first-round draft pick played extensively in Friday’s 13-10 loss in Tampa to the Buccaneers.

“He’s doing a number of different things for us, in the kicking game and on defense in the secondary,” coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. “He’s getting a lot of football in a short amount of time.”

Primarily a safety at Miami, Meriweather has been used mostly at cornerback in training camp, both in the slot and outside. The Patriots are thin at the position with franchised cornerback Asante Samuel still unsigned and veteran Chad Scott out for the season with a knee injury.

Ellis Hobbs and Randall Gay are the starters for now, with Meriweather and free agent Tory James the top reserves.

“I think we’ve got four or five guys who are working real hard at that position,” defensive coordinator Dean Pees said. “I wish we had a few more; I wish we were a little deeper. But I wouldn’t say that I’m in a mode that I’m panicked.”

Meriweather started three games at cornerback as a senior, so he said the transition hasn’t been too difficult.

“Around here you have to be able to play everything and that’s how the foundation is,” he said. “The more you can play the better you are.”

Meriweather has sought advice from Eugene Wilson, who converted from college cornerback to starting free safety as a rookie in 2003. But Pees said Meriweather’s job might be more difficult.

“It’s actually easier schematically to play corner; it’s harder physically,” Pees said. “You’re going to be locked one-on-one with a really good wide receiver at some point in time and sometimes we can help you and sometimes we can’t.

“If you don’t practice that all the time, every day, it’s just hard to come out there and all of a sudden say, ‘I’m going to be a good man-to-man corner.’ “

Meriweather got a quick lesson in the difference between college and pro receivers during the preseason opener.

“Receivers are a lot stronger in the pros,” he said. “They have a little more technique to blocking than you (see) in college.

“In college you could pretty much just beat them off mind games. But here you have to use technique and do all the little things that count.”

Even though the Patriots ended training camp on Wednesday, Meriweather said he doesn’t feel any sense of accomplishment yet.

“Camp is not broken, not for me,” he said. “I’m still a rookie. I still have a lot to learn. I still have things to focus on. For me, it’s still grind time.”