While there may be questions surrounding the CBA and the lockout and their affect on the newly drafted players, that hasn't prevented the Patriots' picks from shipping up to Boston. According to their Twitter accounts, both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are in New England today. Ridley posted that he was "New England bound" and Vereen stated "Just touched down. HELLO BOSTON!" I'm uncertain whether the players will be able to have contact with the Patriots' coaching staff to receive playbooks, but they're in the neighborhood just in case.
Patriots' first round pick Nate Solder was in the neighborhood to make an appearance with owner Bob Kraft, but a stay on the injunction that lifted the lockout was granted in the middle of the second round, reinstating a temporary lockout. Hopefully, the new draft picks will be able to meet the coaches to be debriefed. Maybe the players will just have to meet other players on the Patriots' roster in order to receive a playbook.
It will be interesting to see the interactions between the franchise and its draft picks over the next few weeks.