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On draft day I actually posted similar thoughts on another thread. Last year it seemed like the Patriots were pretty high on Matt Gutierrez-- in fact, if they didn't think he would be any more than a #3 QB, they just would have kept Testaverde when they broke camp. Don't get me wrong-- I think the Patriots tooka good risk in bringign Matt Cassel on board, as he's obviously got talent (just maybe not as much as Carson Palmer or Matt Lienart).
I figured the Pats would have gone after a guy like Dennis Dixon in the 6th or 7th round, and was a little shocked when they burned a third rounder on O'Connell. But from everything I've seen on youtube, the kid can definitely play and is extremely mobile. Plus, the guys on NFLN seemed to think O'Connell was extremely underrated and had a huge upside, whether it was as a backup with the Pats or on the trade market in a year or two.
Personally, I think it wll be Gutierrez, O'Connel, and maybe a veteran FA fighting it out for the #2 backup spot by the end of camp. I haven't seen anything from Cassel that makes me confident he can be a consistent starter in the league, but the fact that he knows the Patriots offense and studied under Tom Brady definitely makes him worth a mid-to-late round draft pick for any team in needs of a veteran backup once the season rolls around.
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