By Zuri Berry, Boston.com Staff

FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots are inching closer and closer to having a positionless front seven. Designated linebackers are playing defensive end, ends are playing tackle, and the team's nose tackle doesn't mind peeking outside either.

So when the the team looked to revamp its defense this offseason, particularly after losing 20 sacks of production from Andre Carter and Mark Anderson with their departures, it was no surprise the kind of players that they were seeking to fill the spots: hybrids.

Trevor Scott fits that mold for Bill Belichick. From his time as an Oakland Raider he has contributed as a player that can't be put in a box, according to the coach.

"He played a couple different positions out at Oakland during his time there – some defensive end, some outside linebacker, some sub rush responsibilities," Belichick said. "A lot of times he was on the line, sometimes in a three-point stance, sometimes in a two-point stance but he also did play off the line in linebacker roles. We saw him do a lot of different things, in addition to the kicking game. He has some versatility, he’s young and he’s worked hard. He had a real good offseason for us in terms of our offseason program; he was one of our award winners there."

Scott, for his part, had no idea the coach had been following him that closely.

"We only really met after the free agent process," Scott said. "So that was about it. I'd never really talked to him before. It did surprise me. But he knows everybody's history, he's Bill Belichick."

The designated defensive end has played a big part in the team's first and second team defense during practice, mixing and matching with different counterparts on the left and right side. So far, he has mainly played with one hand in the grass. What he does come the season though, doesn't really matter to him.

"No matter what they ask me to do," Scott said, "I just go 100 miles per hour."