Originally Posted by Rich Garven

“You know what, you have to take that mind-set,” the affable O’Connell said following a recent OTA workout at Gillette Stadium. “I want to work as hard as I possibly can and when fall comes around just continue to do what I’ve been doing now and all offseason — to work hard and feel comfortable in whatever role I’m in.”

At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds O’Connell has the look of an NFL quarterback. He’s also an excellent athlete with Roethlisberger-like mobility.

So the tools are there, and the Patriots have spent the last year tightening up O’Connell’s footwork and delivery. Progress is being made even if it hasn’t been on public display.

“I feel like mechanically I’ve gotten better with a lot of the little things,” O’Connell said. “I still have a lot of work to do. It’s like anything, if you want to be good at it you have work at it.

“It’s something that’s hard to perfect, but through video and whatever else you just study it and study it. Eventually you start to feel you’re getting some results out of it.”

Originally Posted by jmt57

Here's a nice column on the Pats backup QB

O'Connell Keeps Himself Prepared by Rich Garven of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Originally Posted by Mosi Moose

Good article. Obviously, I hope to only see O'Connell on the field during "mop up" duty, but it's important that he prepares himself as if he were the starter.