Bill Belichick is adjusting on the fly.

That is one of the themes of 2011 Patriots training camp, with Belichick giving the team's defense a new look. Time will tell if it sticks.

In a regular year, this is the type of stuff Belichick would have been doing in the spring. That is when new ideas are explored, hundreds of repetitions are taken by players and analyzed by coaches, and then the question is asked, "Are we carrying this into training camp?"

At that point, the process would continue again. All the reps would be taken in training camp, and analyzed by coaches, and then the question would be asked, "Are we carrying this into the regular season?"

Belichick currently finds himself playing catch-up.

There was no offseason this year, a result of the lockout, so his experimentation has to take place in front of everyone at training camp. He hopes it all works out, but even he isn't sure at this point. He might not know until the regular season.

Call it the "lockout effect," which ties into the main theme in this week's mailbag.

Q. Mike, with the Pats signing all these defensive linemen, who is projected to make the roster and who do you think will be cut? -- Harry (Bloomington, Ind.)

A. I really believe Belichick is still experimenting right now. This normally would have been done in spring camps, and then carried into training camp, but he has to do it now. He has three weeks to figure it all out, with Aug. 30 the first roster cutdown (75 players) and Sept. 3 the final cutdown (53 players). Here is how I would break down the 21 players I'd classify on the roster as defensive linemen:

Locks: Albert Haynesworth, Vince Wilfork, Mike Wright, Andre Carter, Jermaine Cunningham, Shaun Ellis

Middle ground: Kyle Love, Myron Pryor, Gerard Warren, Kade Weston, Mark Anderson, Eric Moore

Long shots: Markell Carter, Landon Cohen, Darryl Richard, Steve Williams, Aaron Lavarias, Clay Nurse, Alex Silvestro

PUP: Ron Brace, Brandon Deaderick

Q. The Patriots had a very young defense last year. I don't think they want to completely abandon their youth movement, but now they have brought in some more veterans. Do you think one of their biggest challenges is getting the right mix older and younger players and getting them to play together? -- David

A. I like this point, David. The Patriots got a lot older on defense with their recent moves, assuming all players stick. This is something Belichick needs to be careful of when constructing the final 53-man roster.

Q. Is Ron Brace being on PUP another case of Bill Belichick "managing" the roster. It seems to me that every year there are one or two guys who might make it back from injury but don't, only to start practicing after Week 6 and playing as soon as a roster spot opens up. Does BB figure that an injured player will have a hard time making the gameday roster the first 6 weeks, so why waste a roster spot? -- Ted (Boston)

A. Ted, I think it's smart business to have some players on PUP to open the season, but in this case if Brace was 100 percent healthy and in top condition, I think he would have started on the active roster. Now that Brace is on the PUP, I do think it's smart business to leave him there as it will buy time through the season's first six weeks to see how things shake out on the line. If the Patriots do play a four-man line, I think I'd give Brace a chance at a defensive tackle spot before giving up on him. That's what he played at Boston College.

Q. Hi Mike, I'm curious about will happen to Mike Wright once he recovers from his concussion. With the four most recent signings of Gerard Warren, Andre Carter, Shaun Ellis, and Mark Anderson, where do you see Wright in the upcoming season? Also what are your thoughts on rookie Markell Carter, how do you think he will contribute in 2011? -- Nick (Southborough, Mass.)

A. Nick, if healthy and in a good place, I see Wright as a key contributor on the 46-man game-day roster. I think he fits best as a pass-rusher in sub packages and a backup lineman.

Q. Mike, I appreciated your analysis of what the Patriots are doing on the defensive line stating that they are "being set-up to morph into a different look at any time." I think that's exactly it. My question is why does this seem advantageous now? Is BB trying to take advantage of a lack of opponent preparation due to the lockout? Or are we simply seeing the next brilliant stage of BB's development as a defensive mastermind? He could quite possibly be setting a new standard in defensive strategy. -- David (Phoenix, Ariz.)

A. David, in my view, Belichick has always favored a "multiple" defense. This isn't the first time we've seen this, but it takes a special group of players to be able to pull it off. I still maintain that what the Patriots did in the 2004 Super Bowl against the Eagles, when they switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 in the most important game of the season, was one of the greatest scheme alterations on the fly in football. Totally unexpected and underappreciated. As for this year, I think a big part of it is that Belichick had all lockout to study the team's defense, and saw some flaws in the 3-4 system based on the personnel he had. He also had time to study other teams that are successful on defense and I think the idea of running a 3-4 defense with 4-3 type spacing made some sense. Let's see if they stick with it a bit longer.

Q. Mike, what do you think the primary driver behind the apparent switch to a 4-3 is? Do you think it has to do with losing the offseason to the lockout, thus taking away time to teach the 3-4 to newly acquired players? It seems like learning a 3-4 defense, especially the Patriots scheme, takes more time than learning a 4-3. Most players are already familiar with some form of the 4-3 from college or prior NFL teams, and could come in and contribute immediately with less of a ramp up time. If this is the case, do you see the switch as a long term move, or will the Patriots migrate back to a 3-4 base in 2012 when the staff has a full offseason with the players? -- Bob (Holden, Mass.)