Caserio explains veteran visits are standard fare

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By Tom E. Curran
CSNNE.com Patriots InsiderFollow @tomecurran
FOXBORO - Nick Caserio, the Patriots Director of Player Personnel, confirmed on Monday that the veteran free agent workouts being held are mostly about data collection. "We're just doing our due diligence," said Caserio, who had plans to check out safeties Darren Sharper and Renaldo Hill and wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh on Monday. "We're doing our homework. We're trying to stay prepared. We're trying to gain as much information as we can on the players and if there's an opportunity that makes sense for us then we'll pursue it."Caserio noted that, despite the lockout, the team has worked out as many free agents this season as they had at this point last year. The idea that hosting new guys necessarily means the ax will fall on current guys is faulty. "It's standard operating procedure," Caserio said of the free agent workouts. "The guys that are here are working. We're just trying to evaluate the market to the best of our ability and have as much information at our disposal as possible."This tire-kicking is interesting, especially when recognizable names arebrought in. But as we mentioned Sunday night, a GM would have to be a moron tonot have a working knowledge of what tasks available veteransare capable of performing."(Medical evaluations are) a part of (the visits)," Caserio explained."(It's) sort of getting a gauge as to what their conditioning level will be. Maybe they're coming off an injury. We're just sort of getting a gauge as to where they are from a health position." Tom E. Curran can be reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Tom on Twitter at http:twitter.comtomecurran

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