Source: O'Connell cut by Pats
In the first surprise move in the NFL cutdown to 75 players on rosters, the New England Patriots informed quarterback Kevin O'Connell that he is being released, according to a source.
A third-round choice in 2008, O'Connell was the leading candidate to be Tom Brady's backup this season after the departure of Matt Cassel. The timing of the release was particularly surprising considering Brady's right shoulder injury Friday night against the Redskins.
Not sure if it deserves it's own thread, but I was a little surprised with this cut.
I'm really interested in the fact that IMO O'Connell wasn't nearly as bad as Cassel was in the preseason last year, but he still made the team. So for O'Connell to be a 2nd year 3rd rounder and get cut tells me the Pats REALLY didn't like what they saw in him.
Here's the latest on QB options:
http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/08/30/pats-co ... backup-qb/
Pats considering adding a veteran backup QB
The Patriots opting to cut young quarterback Kevin O’Connell on Sunday caught many by surprise, but New England is one of several teams looking at veteran options at the position.
The Patriots are among the many teams to express an interest in Philadelphia’s A.J. Feeley. Some execs believe New England is where Feeley will end up, but, according to a source, the Eagles do not plan on parting with Feeley until they know how long Michael Vick will have to sit out.
The wait for Vick to be reinstated could range from one to six games, and Feeley is the only other experienced backup on the team, with Kevin Kolb still unproven and largely untested in the regular season.
St. Louis could also be a potential landing spot for Feeley.
