No position was a hotter topic for the Patriots throughout the preseason than safety. Whether it was the departures of Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders and Brandon McGowan, the acquisition of James Ihedigbo (and possible pickup of veteran Darren Sharper) or the continued maturation of Patrick Chung, no spot held more intrigue throughout the preseason.

With the regular-season opener now less than a week away, the Patriots have four safeties on the active roster. Here are their options at the position (listed in order they might appear on the depth chart).

Patrick Chung: The acknowledged leader of the group now that Meriweather and Sanders have departed, the 24-year-old Oregon product is entering his third season in New England. The 5-foot-11, 212-pounder will be the centerpiece of the position and could even be elected a captain this year.

Sergio Brown: Signed as a rookie free agent out of Notre Dame before the start of the 2010 season, the 23-year-old really started to come on strong toward the middle of last year, finishing with 11 tackles. The calling card of this 6-3, 210-pounder is his quickness.

Josh Barrett: Built like a linebacker, the 6-2, 225-pounder saw his first real action with the Patriots in the preseason finale — the 26-year-old was on the field for 35 snaps against the Giants. But because of a shoulder injury, he hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2009.

James Ihedigbo: The UMass product is known more as a special teamer who adds positional depth — he was only on the field for 120 defensive snaps last season with the Jets, including a combined 28 snaps over their final four games last year. At 27, the 6-1, 214-pounder is the oldest member of the safety crew, but he's likely last on the depth chart.

“I think we have a group of young players there,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick told WEEI on Tuesday when he was asked about the safeties. “They’re all involved in the kicking game as well. Patrick Chung has had a solid training camp and is in his third year here. Josh Barrett is a guy we didn’t get to work with last year, but he’s a good solid player as well.

“Of course, Sergio Brown has just done nothing but improve in the year and a half that he’s been here. James Ihedigbo has played for us defensively, played in the league defensively, and has been a strong kicking game player for the Jets. So that’s what that group is, and I think we feel like that’s the best group for our team.”

While Sanders brought a measure of balance to the defensive backfield over the last few seasons, for a team that has been searching for stability at the position, Chung is probably the best thing to come along for the Patriots in the post-Rodney Harrison era.

“Patrick’s one of our young players that’s really worked hard. He’s very diligent. He’s a hard worker,” Belichick said. “I mean, you really can’t outwork Chung — he’s here early, he stays late. He’s in top condition. He can play all the plays that he needs to play. He’s been very productive for us in the kicking game [and] defensively. I think there’s still room to grow with him, but he works hard at it. He’s had a good camp and he’s had two solid years behind him.”

Chung is the undoubted centerpiece, and even if the Patriots do acquire a veteran like Sharper to augment the position, Belichick and the Patriots will fill in around him. But who will they pair with Chung? One thing that should make personnel decisions easier is the fact that instead of pairing a free safety with a strong safety, Belichick said the Patriots have always taught their safeties to play both positions.

Belichick said Tuesday the practice began when Harrison and Eugene Wilson were paired together spot in 2003. Since that point, instead of dictating one as a pure “free safety” and another as a “strong safety,” both were hybrids. The move allowed the Patriots some versatility at the position. Plus, the fact that both could theoretically play either position gave New England more depth.

“In our system, we have always taught our safeties both positions,” Belichick said. “Because inevitably there are going to be times when the offenses are going to do that and force you to do that, and then sometimes we, by game plan, adjust that from week-to-week on what specifically we want them to do.

“Ever since [2003], we have always, again for the reasons I just talked about, we have tried to have players on our team that have some degree of versatility because the offense forces you to do that,” Belichick added. “Do I think it’s perfect? I don’t know about that. Do I think that all of our safeties have some degree of flexibility to do that? Yeah, I do.”

Part of the evolution has to do with offenses coming up with new and radical ways to keep defenses on their heels. Because of offensive changes — including the fact that more teams have moved from a two-back system to a one-back system — the idea of “free safety” and “strong safety” have become outdated concepts in large part because offenses have changed fairly dramatically.

“I think to put safeties in that category was the way it was many years ago, when you had a lot of two-back offenses and one safety traditionally played closer to the line of scrimmage and another safety traditionally played in the deep part of the field — the Paul Krauses and the guys like that.

“As the game has evolved, over the last, I’d say, 20 years, offenses have done a much better job of trying to make your strong safety play free safety, make your free safety play strong safety, not let your defensive players get comfortable playing where they want to play and make them play where you don’t want them to play.”