The part of the interview process is only a part of the puzzle in the component of scouting as they try to have an overall of the prospect players’ personality, character, and preparedness.

“You have 15 minutes but it’s really not as much time as you think,” he explained. “Each player there’s something specific you’re trying to gain a little insight on. The underclassmen this is your first exposure to them. You haven’t had a chance to speak with them at an all-star game or talk to them much at all. It’s really your first introduction before you get into some of the deeper stuff, which will continue throughout the next few months leading to the draft”.

In having an idea of how much of these interviews are figuring out what the answers to questions are or just how they handle the interaction overall, Caserio explained:

“It’s a combination of everything. How they handle the question, how they handle the situation. Are they truthful? You might have some information based on your sources. Some handle it better than others but it encompasses everything. Some come in with a notebook, they’re prepared. It’s different because it’s more of a personal interaction. You can see them around coaches and other people and how they handle it. In the end you have to make your best guesstimate as to how they’re going to handle our environment and our situation.”

In sharing his thoughts with Patriots Football Weekly, Caserio is optimistic with the overall depth of the draft and defense players.

“Defensively, on the whole, it looks like a good group. There’s a good group of safeties, there’s a good group of corners, there’s a good group of linebackers, there’s a good group of defensive linemen – players that are going to play with their hand on the ground. There’s good depth across the draft. As usual the underclassmen are a big part of it with 73 of them declaring. That’s almost 25 percent of the 288 or so that are going to get picked, now not all of them will get drafted.

“There are a lot of good football players and we just have to dig through it and figure out what makes the most sense for your team moving forward.”

In terms of this year’s combine and relation to this year’s draft (just five at its disposal), Caserio said the lack of picks has no relevance on the combine activities.

“It’s really more from a numbers standpoint,” he said. “You still do the same thing in terms of you go through and evaluate the players as you normally would. Right now we have five picks. Could that change? Possibly. But that’s where we are right now. We take the draft as it comes and things fall into place. You continue to move forward and build the team accordingly.”

Per Patriots.com, it was mentioned that wide receiver Quinton Patton was scheduled to meet with the Patriots Saturday night. If the meeting happened or not, it’s still unclear.

When asked about his impressions of Coach Bill Belichick, Patton said:

“I ain’t got to be around coach Belichick to know that you got to shut up and just get it done,” he said. “You got to be detail oriented. Just shut up and get it done with him.”

When asked who he compares himself to in terms of skill set: “I don’t compare myself to anybody. I’m Quinton Patton”, he said.

While we learned that wide receiver Tavon Austin got plenty of films of Wes Welker on his iPad, Marshall Faulk compares Tavon Austin as a hybrid-player – “he’s Percy Harvin and Wes Welker wrapped into one.”

Whether these two wide receivers be will around by the 29^th pick, I highly doubt because they are no longer under the radar. Bill Belichick would have to surprise us how he could make that possible if Wes Welker is gone by the time the draft comes.

Follow Celia Westbrook on Twitter @celiawestbrook

July 27, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots safety Steve Gregory walks onto the field during the training camp at the team practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE

Despite the solid statistics, Gregory was actually an underwhelming player for the team. For instance, he was poor in coverage last season and did not enjoy a quality year before being signed by the Patriots in the offseason. Part of the reason why is because they shifted him at different positions (both safety spots and nickel corner) instead of using him at one position. He also had to play behind Eric Weddle, which basically stuffed him on the depth chart.

Versatility is a key quality in this league and Steve Gregory has that, but the problem was that San Diego was using him in too many different spots. There were instances when he would be playing at the line of scrimmage and would then use him in weird coverages. He struggled last season in coverage overall, but he definitely showed flashes and made plays.

The big thing is that he has taken the next step with the New England Patriots and looks far more comfortable with his new team. One of the reasons why is because the Pats are allowing him to start at the position he is best at, free safety, instead of spreading him all over the field. He is a consistent veteran who is intelligent on the field, but I think he had difficulty covering receivers last year because of the various alignments.

It sounds like a crutch argument, but continuity is something that helps players an awful lot in this league. Gregory’s rise from a backup to a starter with San Diego was great, and now he’s making an even bigger ascension to the level of “good starter” in New England. He has been a standout in camp thus far with three interceptions, and he also picked off a pass in the team’s first preseason game.

As expected, Steve Gregory is bringing consistency and veteran know-how to the team. He is an instinctive player, and he and Patrick Chung are making a great safety pairing. Gregory is the consistent player who is solid in coverage, while Chung is the playmaker who makes big plays in run defense. I love what the Pats are doing with Gregory, and that is allowing him to flourish at one specific spot. It’s exciting to have a consistent player at free safety for a change, and he is a tremendous upgrade over the guys the team played last year.

“They played him a little bit at their money position or in some of their dime packages, played him close to the line of scrimmage. Steve has done a nice job. He’s a versatile player; he was able to do a number of different things in San Diego’s defense. I think some of the things that we’re doing are a little bit different, just systematically but he’s indoctrinated myself into our system well. He’s done a nice job to this point. He’s been here since day one of the offseason and so far so good.”

That quote above is from director of player personnel Nick Caserio, and I want to key in on the second half of that quote. Caserio is saying that the Patriots are doing small things to help Gregory out and make him a more successful player in a scheme that he fits better. It’s working, and Gregory has been the star of the secondary so far this offseason. It’s great to see an undrafted player turn into a solid starter, and the decision to sign him in the offseason has worked extremely well for the Patriots up to this point. Some outsiders criticized the move, but the organization has obviously made the signing work in their favor by changing things around to help Gregory become a successful player. He was a good role player for San Diego, but he has the makings of a good starter for New England.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Sep 12, 2011; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush (22) is tackled by New England Patriots linebacker Dane Fletcher (52) and defensive back Devin McCourty (32) during the second half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The thing is, it would have been a huge surprise if somebody picked him up from waivers. He is a valuable player, but Fletcher isn’t a starter and is out for the entire 2012 season with an ACL tear. On top of that, he’s an RFA after this season; it wouldn’t make sense for another team to claim him. The Pats now have an extra slot on the 90-man roster- perhaps for another offensive lineman.

After this season, the Pats have the high ground and can match any offer given to the RFA. Fletcher is happy to be a Patriot, and it’s certainly great to have him back. Nick Caserio and the organization were vague on why they didn’t wait until the 27th- it was a quizzical move due to his value- but I guess they looked at the situation and thought, “Well, Fletcher’s an RFA after this year, right? Yeah, whatever, nobody will pick him up. Let’s just clear a spot on the roster, watch him clear waivers, scare everyone, and then put him on the IR.”

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.