INDIANAPOLIS -- When it came to their front seven, the Patriots showed multiple defensive looks last season, shuffling between a three-man front and a four-man front depending on personnel and opponent.

While there was a healthy amount of their more traditional 3-4 thrown in, at the same time, New England played more 4-3 than they had in years’ past, utilizing defensive ends Andre Carter and Mark Anderson as part of a group that was able to get good pressure on opposing passers.

But with Carter and Anderson among the Patriots’ free agents this offseason, could New England’s front seven return to its more traditional 3-4 look in 2012? It’s a question for the Patriots as they begin the team-building process for the upcoming season this week at the NFL scouting combine.

“We’ve been a multiple team here for a long time,” said New England’s director of player personnel Nick Caserio Thursday during a break in the action in Indianapolis. “So, front seven, you know, you’re basically going to [look at] off the line of scrimmage linebackers, on the line of scrimmage linebackers -- whether it’s end of the line of scrimmage defensive line, whether it’s the defensive end or a rush player -- and then interior defensive linemen, depending how the front is dispersed.

“That’s why you look at the front seven in general terms, because you could really shift back and forth depending on whether it was the team or opponent we were playing. At the end of the year, we were playing a little more odd fronts. We played, I think, 65, 70 percent of the snaps were sub defense. We’re a multiple team, so, you look at those front seven players in general terms and then you get them into your program and figure out where their skill set is best going to be utilized.”

If the Patriots are looking to improve their front seven, this could be a good year to do it. Caserio identified the front seven, the receiver position and the offensive line as the three greatest positions of “strength” in this year’s draft.

“There’s depth at more positions relative to others,” Caserio said. “I’d say receiver is a position of strength. The offensive line’s a position of strength. The front seven is a position of strength. A lot of [those] players -- the front seven, especially that were down at the Senior Bowl -- are some of the better players in this draft.

“There are some good edge players, some good inside players. There’s a pretty good balance, I'd say, across the front. In free agency, there’s a pretty good crop of players in the front seven, generally speaking as well.”

That means New England’s front seven could look much different in 2012 than the group that was out there in 2011. Anderson and Carter both flourished as pass-rushing defensive ends in four-man fronts last season, with Carter finishing with a team-high 22 quarterback pressures and 10 sacks in 14 games. Meanwhile, Anderson had 14 pressures and 10 sacks.

However, both are now free agents, and questionable to return, as are veteran linemen Gerard Warren and Shaun Ellis, both of who are also free agents. In addition, Mike Wright was released earlier this week. While Wright’s productivity has been limited the last two seasons because of injury, that could mean as many as five new faces on the defensive line in 2012. (There are fewer questions as linebacker, as complementary players like Gary Guyton and Tracy White are free agents.)

Turnover on the defensive line could lead to more opportunities for youngsters like Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick. It could also mean New England takes a chance on a defensive lineman with one of its first four picks. The Patriots pick at No. 27 and No. 31 in the first round, and could be in position to take someone like Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who has experience inside in the 4-3 or on the end in the 3-4. In addition, 6-foot-5, 247-pound Syracuse product Chandler Jones could be a second-round possibility as a defensive end or outside linebacker for New England.

But really, the decisions that the Patriots have to made about their front seven -- and whether or not they’ll feature more 4-3 or 3-4 as their base defense in 2012 -- will start by determining what to do with Carter and Anderson.

“We got really good production from those two players -- those guys did a nice job,” Caserio said. “[But] I think the most important thing for us is to improve our team. And this whole spring process is about team building. Whether that’s in the draft, in free agency, however that takes shape, that s what we’ll try to do and that’s how we’ll address it.”