Patriots make change at QB, tell O'Connell he's waived

Dumb dumb dumb

huh

In Bill we trust.

Tyler Thigpen alert?

No surprise here, O'Connel really sucked this preseason. And to everyone that made the Matt Cassel reference about last year - this was completely different. Cassel wasn't throwing poor interceptions like the last one O'Connel threw the other night. As much as we hate to give up on a guy with as much potential as O'Connel (third round pick in 08), sometimes you just gotta do what's best for the ballclub. In BB we trust.

Kind of surprising, but I didn't see anything out of O'connell that made me think he was excelling. Did anyone else?

He has looked awful, so I'm ok with it... I'm shocked though.... The pats know about QB's, so they must think he sucks.

yikes!! he was bad last game but this seems severe.does bill like hoyer that much or is their some one out there they like?
call doug flutie....what?? you don't think he could manage a game better than these stiffs.

Wow, didn't see that one coming at all. He might land on practice squad but I think someone will grab him on waivers.

Dumb?

O'Connell has never shown me anything to make me believe he'll be a player in this league. So it's not like I can say he was any better/worse than Walter or even Hoyer.

I am little surprised they gave up on him so soon. Makes me believe that they are interested in Hoyer but don't think he'd make it through waivers so they could practice squad him.

This is a joke right?

Is this about brady being hurt?Patriots looking for a number one qb?Or did KOC just suck?

Bill knows more than we do. This time last year, we thought keeping Cassel was stupid. We'll see.

Sure, O'Connell struggled... but maybe this is more about Andrew Walter. Perhaps he is picking up the system rather quickly and was poised to move past O'Connell at #2. I think I am just more surprised that we didn't try to trade him and get at least a low draft pick. Then again, he was pretty bad the other night, so there may not have been much of a market out there for him.

In comes AJ Feely...the Patriot Killer. He's owed over like $1.2 million and Vick is owed $1.6 million. That's too much money for backups even if one is Vick.

Wow, that is shocking. There has got to be something else at play here. Cassel hardly looked like a world beater in pre-season last year (or the year prior) and they kept him (and his performance validated it). He must not be putting in the effort in the offseason/practice/film study. If they can turn a 7th round, never started a college game guy into a 2nd round pick, i got to believe they can make this guy a quality QB, but only if he's willing to put in the time and effort.

You have to trust BB and staff! History shows they know what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

When a 3rd was used to grab KOC, I wondered if it was a "reach"... but then I figured if BB was taking a QB so early, it could only be good. Wow. I am very, very surprised. Not saying he "lit it up" since camp, but wow. Even C.Jackson lasted longer !

by the time I type this, he probably has workouts scheduled with Denver, KC and possibly Cleveland. lol

I liked what I saw of Hoyer and this move is as much about keeping him as it is anything else. Good chance we'll see a lot of him in the 4th and final preseason game.

i would have to think with the realease of o'connell brady shoulder is fine

certainly a big surprise. I guess Hoyer is that good? Walter didnt seem to be that great either so I also think waiving O'Connell is kinda quick. I think BB might be thinking next season and picking up Tebow?

In Bill We Trust! We've seen this before, trust my friends!

I think Brendon nailed it. The Pats will probably trade for Feely.

I thought O'Connel looked awesome at times last year but this year kept looking worse. He looked so bad against the Redskins his confidence seemed shattered.

Andrew Walter is a solid, proven productive QB in the league. Starting stretches, wins (in OAK of all places!), etc. He is the prototype Belichick QB and is far more capable of the back-up duties...

O'Connell proved to be extremely inconsistent with his technique and flubbed quite a few too many easy pro throws. He was only getting the bulk of the time to ultimately prove that he couldn't handle the position (see: Fernando Bryant). There are a few other guys I'm seeing in that boat this preseason. This probably won't be the last "surprise".

They'll go with Brady and Walter for the regular season and they cut and P-Squad Hoyer as the emergency option. Position ready.

Ignorant fans: please shut up and wait for the TDs before you make some noise... keep gobbling tidbits from the non-analytical media types and keep your baseless 'supposings' on the shelf.

with the release of o'connell i would have to think brady's shoulder is ok

So here is my take on this...Cassel goes down the other night, could be an ACL, MCL? We got a 2nd rounder for it. Bill throws Pioli a bone in the form of KOC so it looks like KC didn't get robbed.

The final roster cut is going to be tough and I wouldn't be suprised if Bill went to two QB's on the depth chart to start the season so he can have a spot for someone on the bubble. Hoyer will probably make it through to the practice squad.

I think the wilcard or can I call it wildcat is Edelman, although he has lined up on spcial teams and WR, he played QB in college and had a tonne of yds rushing. Seeing KOC has not developed in 2yrs and Edelman and Hoyer have excelled an additional roster spot was needed and therefore Kevin O'Connell was expendable.

I am also assuming the PATS will get something in return in next years draft if someone claims KOC on waivers?

A year ago everyone said Bill had found the heir apparrent to Brady. In October fans were clamoring for OC to replace Cassel. Now he is on the steet. Kansas City will probably sign him and give us the injured Cassel back...

Wow $471,000 cap hit on cutting a backup QB... BB must really not have liked what he saw....

Feely is on his way, I'll bet. Philly is looking to move him and he played well in '07 against the Pats. Don't over look tampa as a possible source for a QB, speculation had begun about them carrying four qbs.

Surprised? Geez, what has O'Connell ever done to earn anybody's surprise over being released. If that shocks you, you must succumb to it quite easily.

BB is by far the best coach in the nfl - no one should ever question his decisions.

As Bill says, the Draft is an inexact science. O'Connell in the 3rd in 2008 and Edelman in the 7th in 2009.

O'Connell will be picked up right away by another team. High picks
who are cut always are. O'Connell has struggled to complete both
short and intermediate passes. He looked lousy on Friday and
could not complete the key short pass.
We will find out this week if Walter is any better. I expect to see
him play most of the game. To date he has shown very little.
Fans were upset when Pioli left. His 2008 draft is starting to look
like another draft gone wrong. After Mayo, he drafted Wheatley,
Crable, and O'Connell. None of them has shown very much. Unlike
the 2007 draft, there were no trades to offset poor draft choices.

Surprising in the sense that O'Connell was a better athlete than Cassel or Brady (faster and stronger) - but he doesn't handle the ball well in rain as we saw Friday. I'm not saying it was the determining factor for BB, but do you really want a QB in New England that can't throw in less than optimal weather conditions?

KOC is horrible and would only be useful on a baseball team to help throw ground balls for infield practice. Hoyer seems much better and I would rather have Walter as the primary back-up this year.

This may have come from out of the blue for most of us but I'm sure BB and his staff must have been thinkin about this move for some time. Big Bill must have been highly disappointed after the game on Friday. It's the last time KOC will stink in a Patriot uniform.

the profound irony is that when the "lads" gathered at our sunday morning repast, they were shocked at my pronouncement that O'Connell was gone!! Geez...guess, I am not so dumb.

Luke McCown. He's torn the Pats a new one in the 07 and 08 pre-seasons

Tanned, Rested, and Ready! Grogan in '09!

Surprising, but after seeing O'Connell play all but the last series in the 2nd half, against Washington, he was terrible, & he literally choked on 1 pass play where the ball went into the ground just beyond the line of scrimmage. That showed me enough regarding his potential. Walters is a very capable backup behind Brady, & should have a pretty good handle on the playbook by the time the regular season rolls around. I expect we will see plenty of him against the Giants, & Hoyer will get his chance to do some more live work then as well. On the other hand, does BB have someone else in mind, altogether that will be released or traded for?

I have a 'Feely feeling' coming on....

Hoyer is the long-term development project now. He looked pretty decent when I saw him playing, better than O'Connell no doubt.

Remember when Brady was the 4th QB on the roster and when Bledsoe went down, BB named him the starter the following week against Indy. We thought he had lost his marbles. Turns out he knew more than we did. So he drafted OC because he thought he could turn him into a very good pro QB. Didn't happen and perhaps Hoyer is developing faster than we think. Unlike the Red Sox, the Pats aren't afraid to cut and run when they make a mistake.

Given Brady's health, I doubt BB will go with only 2 QBs. Either Feely comes here via trade or there is someone else they are looking at via waivers.

another name to add to the list of draft picks who did next to nothing - Jackson, Johnson, Klecko, Gus Scott, Rohan Davey, Adrian Klemm, Kenyetta Jones, Kareem Brown, Dexter Reid, Cedric Cobbs...who am I forgetting here? here's hoping Wheatley and Crable don't add to this list. the rest of that '08 class after Mayo is starting to look pretty suspect, no?

All this "In Bill we trust" stuff. I think he is a great coach, but does everyone realize the Pats have not won a Super Bowl since 2004? Are we living in the past? The Steelers have won 2 since then with Big Ben, and I think the Steelers were weak last year, and if TB did not get hurt, the Pats have a cakewalk to another Super Bowl. I think the team has looked weak so far in preseason and is a Brady injury away from mediocrity. The defense does not look strong. I hope I am wrong.

This is good i think an supports Bills statement on Brady comming out of the game so they could look at the back-ups. Probably assessing whether they should drop KOC.

I'm not terribly surprised. The whole point of the draft this year was to set us up for better/more draft positions next year - so I think the Pats are just getting rid of excess QBs that they don't feel can fit in the system at this point and will just cultivate a few good prospects while anticipating for next year's draft. That's why we grabbed so many QBs this year so late in the draft and a few unsigned QBs. They have the luxury of just sampling each and sticking with what looks good after a short period. Definitely a "one shot" deal for them. If the Pats find something they like, great...if not, we're well positioned for a decent QB pickup in next year's draft.

I don't think it's a big deal.

The reason that Gutierrez was cut and Walter signed was to
provide better competition and make O'Connell play better.
It didn't work.

i

KOC is not ready to be the starter. So BB releases him. If NEP pick up an experienced QB this week, we'll know that TB is hurt.

Matt Cassel didn't look any better last year at this time, what's the thinking here?

Ouch. I assume the Pats tried to trade him and there were no takers. It will be interesting to see if the Broncos claim him on waivers.

Pats will make a play for AJ Feeley - he's always been strong against them and is pretty smart with the ball. And word is Philly is trying to move him. If they can't get him with a low-round pick, they'll wait for Philly to waive him.

O'Connell was BRUTAL this year. Two of nine on passes with TWO int's ? Belichick always stresses continuous development of young players. When someone seems to have 'hit the wall' (e.g. Chad Jackson) he moves in another direction rather than waste a roster spot.

And Hoyer HAS BEEN impressive for a UFA. BB apparently sees more promise in working further with him than wasting any more investment in O'Connell.

Well, the Eagles have McNabb, Kolb, and Vick. Man, if they only had one more quarterback... y'know, one that regularly torches our defense... I bet we would consider trading for him.

is this BB's sadistic way of telling us that TB is okay? Tom's fine, so fine in fact that I'm gonna waive the second string QB.

I really hate swinging and missing on a third round pick... beyond that who knows what O'Connell could have done

After his terrible play Friday night, I'm surprised it took until Sunday to waive him. Outside of his poor performance, the Saturday film review must have validated what the Pats already knew. You hate to see a young man lose his job, but, outside of a strong arm, KOC had never shown me that he was NFL capable.

Love the Pats but they piss away draft choices way too much. They lack in player development and coaching (excluding Bill or course) for a number of reasons. Sure some guys develop well but many more fail.

OC was a huge reach as a 3rd especially with Cassel as QB2 and he hasn't had the reps and time to develop. He'll get picked up like most of our cast-offs as the rest of the league feeds off our table scraps.

After his terrible play Friday night, I'm surprised it took until Sunday to waive him. Outside of his poor performance, the Saturday film review must have validated what the Pats already knew. You hate to see a young man lose his job, but, outside of a strong arm, KOC had never shown me that he was NFL capable.

After his terrible play Friday night, I'm surprised it took until Sunday to waive him. Outside of his poor performance, the Saturday film review must have validated what the Pats already knew. You hate to see a young man lose his job, but, outside of a strong arm, KOC had never shown me that he was NFL capable.

So, camp reports had O'Connell coming along okay in practice. He wasn't stellar against Cinci and truly sucked versus the Skins, but BB has kept developmental guys around after worse performances in the past. And, though Hoyer has exceeded the relatively modest expectations for him, he certainly didn't seem to be zooming past O'Connell on the depth chart.

The suddenness of all this, the terseness of the announcement, the fact that there doesn't appear to be any clearly outstanding replacement on the horizon (unless there's a truly surprising trade in the offing) makes me wonder if there wasn't some "incident" in addition to the poor game performance. It just smells like there's more to this that we may not find out about until later - like with the equally abrupt cut of Vince Redd, a short while after which it was revealed he was suspended for violating the league's banned substance policy.

Gee, wasn't the Globe anointing him as the heir apparent based on OTAs? Just proves how useless those off season blog reports are. EVERYONE looks good in shorts and shells. And by the way if BB never makes a mistake, why did he pick him with a 3? That is a BIG miss.

BB drafted O'Connell because McDaniels saw something special in him. im sure BB isnt seeing that now, itll be hours until the Broncos sign O'Connell.

If you're surprised or think this is "dumb" then you haven't been paying attention. When they drafted him, I thought O'Connell could be the heir to the QB spot, but the kid was not showing any development. Even in practices he looked slow in making decisions and had trouble getting the ball downfield. He was not going to be the starter here - Brady has at least 5 more good years in him - so the best we could have expected was that he develops and we trade him for picks. Oh, well - it's not like he was a first round bust. Drafting backup QBs is not an exact science, so we move on. If you're upset about this, you need to get over it and be more concerned about who the #2 is going to be.

I respect the fact the Belichick is willing to cut his losses and essentially admit a mistake. He doesn't try to save face by keeping unproductive players around filling valuable roster spots simply because they were day one draft choices. I expect Walter to play the entire final preseason game, so we'll understand the QB situation a little better after that. There will be vets available for low draft choices if BB deems that the best course of action.

Laurence Maroney, Chad Jackson, Kevin O'Connell... disappointing that some high picks have never panned out.

Ravi, that may be the dumbest thing I've read in a comments section. Congratulations.

I am fine with Walter as the backup and Hoyer has shown enough to at least keep on the practice squad.

Feeley would be a good pickup. Legit backup and looked good this preseason

All right Patriots Nation let get moving lets check out what veterans are out,or what veterans that we might make a trade for,remember Tampa has 4 QB on there roster.
jim

Don't forget the Pats have a certain WR/QB in the mix as well in Edelman. Hey anything is possible. The Patriots giving up on a 3rd rounder this early is big news. But O'Connell (at least in what we all saw) didn't take advantage of a tremendous opportunity. Pretty sad. He now joins the ranks of Patriot busts.

Brady may have a separated shoudler and maybe they need to trade quciky for a veteran

BTW . . . anyone notice that the Patriots haven't announced it on their Twitter feed (realpatriots)?

What I'd be worried about is that Brady is more injured than reports have suggested and that this is the prelude to picking up a genuine #2 QB (who'll be quickly promoted to starter).

What I'm hoping for is that this is an indication that Walter is better than expected as a genuine #2 and that Edelman has the athleticism to replace O'Connel in any QB-run-friendly packages that might eventuate. In other words, I just hope this is because O'Connel is superfluous.

Hmmm.... I think I'll take time out from polishing my skateboard and criticize Bill Belichick's personnel moves.

Guys of course he was was not productive the games this year. I went to about 8 training camp practices this year and O'Connell performed poorly in most of them. I was surprised that the beat writers didn't pick up on it since he was clearly not having a good camp. It was clear that it was time to release him and look for another QB with more potential. I would vote for a backup with experience like the guy in Philly.

for those of you who have been under a rock this whole decade, BB seems to know what he's doing... hoyer has shown he's decent enough for atleast the practice squad, and they might go get someone else for 2nd/3rd string job.

The patriots will go after Kolb from the Eagles - same experience as Oconnell but is seen more as an NFL starter. Eagles have too many QBs in Kolb and AJ that are expendable.

Methinks the Pats should start locking up players, if they deem them NFL capable, prior to contract expiration. i.e. Matt Cassel They could have had him for pennies on the dollar if they had resigned him prior to Brady's injury. If they did, we wouldn't be in the "who is our backup" predicament that we're in. A few more names to add to that list: Asante, Richard, Vince.

They must have their eye on someone. The Redskins are going to have to make a decision soon about their QB position. They have 4 QB's. Does Colt Brennan stay or go with the Skins?

This is clear proof to me that Brady is hurt. Watch them bring in a veteran to take this spot.

I have rarely ever been right in any assumption regarding the Patriots, but this one time I got one right. I just thought O Connel was horrible and he really did not impress me the few times he saw action last year. Instead of trying to get a free agent QB who will have to learn the system, I hope they can get Guiterez back (if he has not been picked up, did Denver sign him???) The guy knows the system and showed some good poise last year.

BB wants an experienced QB to start the season while Brady rehabs his "sore shoulder"!!!!

Hoyer was a hot college prospect a few years ago. I never understood why his stock fizzled. Maybe it related to Michigan State's offense. He has a good arm. Let's see what he's got.

I smell some linguine Testaverde cookin' on the stove!!

Luke McCown is coming. For those that don't know about him, he's gone 14 for 16, 147 yards, 2 TDs/ 0 INTs vs the Pats the last few pre-seasons. He actually beat out Leftwich but got screwed. He had a 100.6 rating in 3 starts in 2007.

This looks like the opposite of saying Brady is ok, more likely Brady is not ok, KOC is not ready to start and they need to free up a spot to bring someone (Feeley?) that can play right now if the shoulder doesn't get better

i like this move. O'Connell had plenty of opportunities, Hoyer is a more talented QB and the signing of Walter guaranteed him a slot.

Why are you people so stupid? You do not get an a/c sep from the way got hit. Please get a clue.... This has nothing to do with Brady.

Excellent decision...this is obviously a huge vote of confidence for Walter who has the skills that Beilichek likes in a QB (i.e., lead the team and manage the game plan), and they are going to bring along Hoyer now as I think they have found a diamond in the rough there for the longer term. O'Connell had good tools except the most important one - quick decisons to take care of the ball. Good athlete; projects as good back-up pro QB at best.

With the Pioli era now over, we should see a better overall draft evaluation and young player deveolpment programs. KOC was not the 'man' so lets see what the new era brings in. I myself think the next few years will be very exciting because of so many contract situations. With BB doing all the future construction of this team, we're just now seeing the beginnings of an even better era here !

TALK ABOUT A WASTE OF A 3RD ROUND PICK

Heard Vinny was warming up in the bull pen!

If Matt Light can no longer protect Tom, then maybe it is Light that has to go! Something must be up for them to release O'Connell and look to get a veteran quarterback. If Brady is not at practice, then that will tell us something, won't it? Another year without Tom will be devastating for all Patriot fans.

Maroney must go. He refuses to block and when he's holding the ball he seems afraid to run toward the defense.

On the opening kick off of the Redskins game, he avoided two blocks and left Slater wide open to get drilled. On the re-kick, since the first kick was flagged, Slater blocked a defender much bigger than him, which freed Maroney to gain yardage. After the play, Maroney swaggered and boasted like he was a real running back - which he's not.

Maroney must go. He refuses to block and when he's holding the ball he seems afraid to run toward the defense.

On the opening kick off of the Redskins game, he avoided two blocks and left Slater wide open to get drilled. On the re-kick, since the first kick was flagged, Slater blocked a defender much bigger than him, which freed Maroney to gain yardage. After the play, Maroney swaggered and boasted like he was a real running back - which he's not.

Is Tommy Hodson available?

Wow, this was a shocker to me -- only because OC seemed rated No. 2 by the Pats coaching staff. So now BB's tight lips about injuries -- in this case, Brady's -- is a double-edged sword. First, Tom could be fine, other than a sore shoulder that has a couple weeks to heal for the opener. In this case, mostly the fans (and the media) are ticked about no info from BB. But if Brady truly is hurt, BB's silence works in the Pats favor -- they can pick up a quality backup QB, and quickly promote him to starter.

Yes, goodlord, but you do get a shoulder hyperextension or, more likely, labrum and rotator cuff injuries.

Browns' Derrick Anderson is available.

Gee, Troy, Walter's fumbles and INT's have been cited here several times, and what happens Friday night? Only BB's last second TO call saves the Pats after Walter fumbles the snap. I'm not so sure about Walter.

If there was any question about Brady's shoulder being seriously hurt, there's NO way the team dr would've let him come back out after halftime and throw the ball a few times. He would've been receiving immediate treatment. And he didn't look to be in a lot of pain, so I'm sure we're all just making too much of it. But I am guessing, though, that Bill got awfully nervous that O'Connell could end up as his backup if god forbid another real injury creeps up. Better to get someone in there now and start getting them up to speed instead of waiting til it's too late to find someone.

Walter's a great pick up no doubt... but doesn't know the offense yet.
No doubt BB is expecting to see a QB or two on the waiver wire in the next few weeks.

Not sure one will fall to the Patriots without being picked up by another team though. AJ Feeley in Philly may be available.

Belichick is brilliant; this is the ultimate ruse...

Brady must really be hurt.

What better way to insure that you will not overpay for a quarterback in a trade, make a move that indicates you do not need a backup...

Pass the Kool-Aid; In Bill We Trust

This illuminates a major problem for the Pats that no one seems to be paying any attention to. Their drafting has been very poor in recent years. They are always lauded for accumulating all of these picks and working the draft board, but no one seems to notice that they are pissing away the vast majority of these picks on players who flat out can't play. Its a bit early to judge this year's class (early signs are positive), but in past 4-5 years its been tight ends who stink, undersized defensive backs who can't cover, offensive linemen who no one has heard of and defensive linemen they don't need. Meanwhile their talent level on defense (beyond the front line) has deteriorated dramtically over the last few years. They didn't have a defensive back who was an above average NFL starter last year and there is no evidence that has changed this year (I'm sorry - I know people have annointed Meriweather as an up-and-comer but he sucked last year, and Sanders is mediocre at best). They compeltely ignored the aging linebacker core for years and now are faced with a startling lack of depth and playmaking there. Mayo is very solid, but he was the 10th pick in the draft, so you can't give them too much credit there. The reality is that if this team doesn't win the Super Bowl with this offense, it will be a horrible wasted opportunity.

Don't get me wrong - I still wouldn't trade BB for the world, but the reality is that his star has faded as a young talent evaluator in recent years.

If the Favre experiment doesnt work out for the vikings i think the patriots should try to get him in a trade and then just sit brady this year just in case he get hurts even more. We probably wouldnt have to give up much maybe a first rounder in next years draft and welker...but it would be worth it.

SImply put, the timing of this means 1 of 2 things.

1. Hoyer has impressed. Remember it isn;t the press or fans who need to be impressed, it is the coaches. (I guess Edelman might have impressed at QB, but it didnt sound like he was getting the reps to do so).

2. The Pats are ready to deal for another QB.

This has NOTHING to do with Brady. This has nothing to do with Cassell injury (if it did....lol, they would deal OC for a 7th to KC) The Pats would only do this if they had another QB slated for #3 on the depth chart.

As for all the rest of the crap in here...... Yes, every team has draft picks that dont work out. The Pats build a winning team as good as anyone (Pitt is close).

So this was the great recruit out of San Diego State, the Super offensive coordinator recruited by flying out multiple times to clock him last year; the next coming of Tom Brady 6'6'' 230lbs with a beast of an arm ...Well I guess it didn't work out maybe in Denver ... and, this is the coach that going to lead the Broncos to the promise land?

how do you know it dosent have anything to do with brady?I love the people who have all the inside news,when the rest of the world is clueless.just maybe the pats dont want to take any chance,s.brady,s injury last year,and the one this past friday.just maybe the pats feel the back-ups now are not getting it done if brady was to miss some time.so yes,it has everything to do with brady.

After reading all the hype in the media about O'Connell... sure this was a surprise. Personally, based stictly on his performance, I never knew if he was a Cassell, who was not impressive in preseason but would be when he worked with Moss and Welker or whether this kid just didn't do the studying that's required of a Pats QB. I expect that Edelman will be hitting the QB film room soon.

If they do make a trade look for them to deal Benjamin "Scissorhands" Watson.

The Patriots have been the NFL's most successful franchise the past decade by making wise,intelligent,well thought out personnel moves.The Patriots have the best owner,the best coach,the best QB,and are the BEST TEAM by a longshot in all of sports,That is right you Yankee fans!

(((BELCH)))

Big deal.

Hoyer looked good, KOC looked horrible. Then again Cassel looked horrible too.

2006 and 2007 draft are pathetic.

They should release Brady instead!

Bring back Vinnie T and stop all the whining!

In a perfect world they would have takers all lined up for the excess talent who would be willing to trade players or draft picks to New England for guys like O'Connell but the easiest way is to just wait and see who the Pats waive its less costly.I don't know why BB cut him but he did so we move on to the next move.

Sources confirm exclusively to the Jupiter & Pluto Herald that the Patriots have reached out to Drew Bledsoe to fill the back up QB role. Ron Borges is working this story hard.

Sources confirm exclusively to the Jupiter & Pluto Herald that the Patriots have reached out to Drew Bledsoe to fill the back up QB role. Ron Borges is working this story hard.

The guy had a looong release....was never going to be a player... BB made a mistake...3rd rounder....

"how do you know it dosent have anything to do with brady?I love the people who have all the inside news,when the rest of the world is clueless."
Posted by darryl

Belichick said Brady wanted to go out there in the second half but they decided to get the other QBs work. Brady also returned to the field in full pads and was throwing the football. Looks like you're the only clueless one Darryl, because it's pretty obvious to everyone who's paying attention that Brady is fine.

Watson adn Wheatly for Feely and Hobbs??

andrew walter is a proven productive qb..... thats the dumbest most uninformed comment on this board. have you ever heard of walter before this year. didnt think so. he sucked in oakland because.... he sucked. maybe he doesnt now but we wont find out unless a disaster happens like last year. maybe you should watch some football and pay attention before you make uninformed comments. as it stands RIGHT NOW the patriots are in serious trouble if brady get hurt and has to miss time. belichek can say how smart a player walter is but so was stever fuller and you dont know who he is either.

STOP talking about AJ Feeley. you do not know what youre talking about when you say 'he looks good against us'... . thats a moron comment. do you NOT remember his failure as a free agent pickup for the dolphins? how did that work out for ya? oh thats right you werent paying attention. and now he is a 'good pick-up'. stop it. go watch mma or something similarly stupid because you do not know football.

Oconnell looked incompetent for a 2nd year player Therewasn't a questioon of his knowledge of the plays , pocket presense , reading the defense.........He was throwing the ball like a high scool kid with no directin .....I was a fan last year ....from what I saw B.B was completee;ly right !!

luke mccown? hahahahahahaahah. now I have seen everything. both mccown brothers suck. yeah his name is josh and you never heard of him either. they both SUCK. any team that starts a mccown is a bad team. some of you guys are just grasping at straws, and proving you know less about the nfl than red sox fans know about baseball. god make it stop.

If the Pats did try to sign Bledsoe, Mo Lewis would take off his pacemaker, salivate uncontrollably, hit the weight room and call the Jets.....

Look for Watson to be traded

Every game I have watched in the pre season the first string running backs have not played as well as the law firm Ben Ellis Green. When ever he gets the call to run a play he always manages to make some excellent yardage. .I would like to know why BB has not given him the chance to play more often as he always hits his holes quickly and does not dance to the right or left but heads north or south following his blocks. I for one would like to see him play more.

I am from Boston but I live in Los Angeles now and of course Oconnel played in San Diego. Well anyway I heard him on a radio show (sports talk) and my take was he did not have enthusiasm for the game and especially not for the place. I can remember coming away from that interview and wondering why he was so un motivated.

He either does not like the game, the North East or what but he was not going to be our guy and I had a feeling that he was not up to the challenge.

Good Luck Kevin but you know the interview on 1090 yeah that one.
I heard you and your now on the street.

The NFL is a privilege

August 31, 2009 - Foxboro, MA. Today Bill Belichick was asked if it was true that the Pats had waived back-up QB, Kevin O'Connell. Belichick responded, "Every year we draft some players, we sign some free agents, and we cut some players. This year is no different. Some players stay and some players go. Some players stay longer, some leave faster. Doesn't matter which of the three phases of the game you're talking about. It's the nature of football. I'm focused on coaching the players who are on our team, whoever they may be, and one of them may or may not be the player you mentioned. The important thing is to get the team ready to play the Giants." Reporters had no idea what Belichick's answer meant, but they were afraid to ask a follow-up.

I would love to see Luke McCown head to NE. He just got screwed by the coach's decision to name the washed-up Byron Leftwich as the starter. They also drafted Josh Freeman in the first round. Let's see: Coach Raheem Morris, QB's Leftwich and Freeman. Yikes, how do I say this...I guess I can't- it's too politically incorrect. I think the fix is in in TB. Living here (Sarasota) and observing, it's hard to escape that conclusion. Anyway, McCown is very mobile and athletic, throws well, is a good character guy, etc.

Is it too much of a reach that we shouldn't be surprised when/if Shawn Crable is the next to be cut? I mean O'Connell had decent playing time and he was dropped due to poor performance. Crable hasn't played more than a handful of snaps this preseason and hasn't proven one or the other...

Damon Huard is being shopped by SF... he has experience with Pats system.

Bruschi is Retiring oh my god what is happening.

aka lawyer milloy

Not a surprise, this team is built for the Super Bowl, but if Brady goes down so does the team. They need a veteran quarterback to take over and run that pass first offense.

They felt comfortable with Cassell last year .

Billy Volek looked good last game !

Another 3rd rounder who did not pan out?

Dave,

Good post, I agree completely.

Bring back Michael Bishop! ;~)

The draft process if just fine. And that's only one side of the coin. The other is free agency. Belichick should expect to have at least one veteran and one "work in progress - rookie" quarterback on hand. O'Connell was a work in progress from day one. Matt Cassel should not have been traded -period and I have said that from day one. No matter what he did for the team - he will always be the quintessential backup quarterback - and if this current injury keeps him out of play in K.C. - he's going to continue being a backup. Now as far as development is concerned - Brady has proven that he has the system down - during game planning and practice - the Pat need to involve the backup a lot more - get them prepare for the speed of the game and get them prepare to make decisions during the game.

The backup QB, more now than ever, after last year's injury to Brady, is important. Fans got spoiled and forgot that injuries are a part of the game.

NE needs a half way decent backup and O'Connell was not that guy.

I trust Coach Belichick in doing the right thing.

what else is new....

How com the Pats have not made any announcement in this regard

Looks like Brady might actually be more hurt than it seems. I can't see any other reason to make this move on a 2008 high draft pick.

well, I don't think Belichick would made a move like this if
Tom fn Brady was hurt by Haynesworth? Brady must be fine?
It was a pretty good scare by that cheap shot no class
late hit.
Damon Huard might be available? Is he still a 49er?
I could see Damon Huard coming back into the fold
and be a legit #2 quarterback or if something happens
I would be happy with him at quarterback. Walter is still too
green behind the ears. I hope something happens and somehow
Huard is a Patriot once again.

He was Josh McDaniels' project QB and will probably get signed by the Broncos. I'm sure there are a few QBs just about to get cut, and the Pats will be sign someone much better.

Bruschi and KOC gone in one night... BB was busy today.

Looks like Vrabel was traded cuz BB knew he would be less useful in a 4-3 and he at least had value while Bruschi was a bit past his prime and probably wouldnt be worth enough to trade him rather than letting him retire as a Pat

Back up a bit, my friends.
We probably realized that OC was not going to make it by late last season.
So we draft Hoyer this year (and --- high-fives --- even Edelman!) - and if he (they) looks like what we expect him to look like by the end of training camp, we can let OC go. Maybe he'll play good on Friday, and we can trade an earlier round; if he sucks, we'll just swallow the loss and let him go.

BTW - when KC, DEN or CLE ;) pick him up, are we still pinched for that salary cap space, or does that get erased?

Here comes AJ Feeley.

This has nothing to do with Brady's shoulder. If the Pats wanted to open a roster spot at QB for a backup because Brady is hurt they could have found a lesser cap hit than OC.

It has to do with OC looking like he belonged in the stands watching the game rather than on the field. Hell, half the posters here could do better than 2-9 with 2 picks if they were playing the Skins scrub team.

People who say they expected O'C to be cut or weren't surprised are lying. Anybody who says this would also probably say that they predicted the eventual success of Matt Cassell. Getting rid of a third-round quarterback in his second year, no matter how bad he has looked so far, is BIG news!

Tank ~ #59 ~ had a good take:

"Love the Pats but they piss away draft choices way too much.

Sure some guys develop well but many more fail."

Anybody with any sense knows that nobody manages The Cap and the ENTIRE roster better than Bill Belichick...But there's no need to pretend that he's Infallible: this IS an area of tremendous POTENTIAL improvement...or so it would seem.

When we burned a 3rd on O'Connell, I CRINGED...but I figured that Coach Bill must see something the rest of us don't. Well, he obviously did NOT, and I don't think it's inappropriate to express a little disgust with the pick: When your QB is named "Tom Brady", there is NO reason to draft a QB any higher than the 5th Round, IF that, until General Brady is in his LATE 30's.

But I join the rest of you in saluting Coach Bill's Testicular Fortitude: He is FEARLESS about his dedication to the best possible Top 53, from FIRING Terry HeadCase Glenn, to firing O'Connell! BRAVO, Coach Bill!!

*I wonder if we're really weak at drafting, or if it's simply a matter of Coach Bill having such EXACTING standards that an High Attrition Rate is INEVITABLE...REGARDLESS of how well he drafts? If SO...Don't change a THING, Coach Bill! 3 Championships down, with 3 Consecutive Championships ~ and an exquisite 19-0!!! ~ To Go!!!

come-on billy tepper,regardless if he is fine to play or not,its all about brady.read the whole post.for your still clueless.the pats want a better option at back-up.if brady was to miss some time.rather if its now,or in the future.got the clue now?

plus in todays headlines,that he may,or may not go in week one.it may not be a real serious injury,but one they could be careful about.nobody is gonna know the real report until near game time.sure he looks like he may be fine,but there isnt any confirmation from the team he will,or wont.nothing wrong with the confidence talk,but its the real headlines that i look for.

As an alumnus and long time San Diego State fan I can assure you that Kevin O'Connell is a quality young man who works hard and always maintains the highest standards in terms of personal character. One thing that perhaps handicaps him in the NFL is that he operated almost entirely from the shotgun while playing for the Aztecs.

As an alumnus and long time San Diego State fan I can assure you that Kevin O'Connell is a quality young man who works hard and always maintains the highest standards in terms of personal character. One thing that perhaps handicaps him in the NFL is that he operated almost entirely from the shotgun while playing for the Aztecs.