CHARLOTTE -- Sitting alone on a quiet evening, A.J. Feeley pulls out a pen and paper and starts drawing.
It's extraordinarily unlikely that his scrawling will ever end up on a museum wall or the funny pages -- unless there is a sudden, unforeseen interest in the diagrams of football plays. But with each stroke of the pen, Feeley comes closer to mastering the intricacies of his new team's offensive scheme.
Some learn by doing; others by watching. Feeley draws.
"It's getting the game sheets here and drawing every single play and formation," Feeley said, "and doing that over and over and over to the point when you come in (to work), they're saying (what to do) on this play and it's like, 'Okay; got that.'"
As with the entire offense itself, Feeley starts by drawing the offensive line -- represented by six boxes covering the five linemen and tight ends. He then photocopies that piece of paper and goes to work.
"I did it when I was in Philadelphia learning the West Coast (offense), but then it got drilled home to me with (offensive coordinator Cam) Cameron in San Diego," Feeley said. "He was a big stickler on coming in and knowing the stuff.
"There's so much pressure on you as far as the learning curve being equivalent to the starter. The pressure was every night. That's what I associate now with learning a new offense -- going to San Diego and feeling like I need to get up and apply that pressure on myself."
The results of his penmanship so far have come on the practice field.
"It's coming along really well," Feeley said. "I feel more comfortable each and every day at practice. Hearing something and not remembering what it is -- now, when I hear it, I conceptually associate it with a football image. It's come along faster than it did (with other teams)."
Feeley believes he knows the offense well enough to execute it during games.
"I could come in and play. There are certain things I'm not as far along (with) as the other guys. But for the most part, I think I can manage the game and be successful."
But as the No. 3 quarterback since arriving last month, Feeley would have only played had a calamitous series of events transpired.
"I'm not really worried about (the depth chart)," he said. "For me, it's contributing day-to-day. I'll contribute somehow, someway, whether it's No. 2 or No. 3. It's out of my hands."
But with pen in hand, he'll keep learning the offense.
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Fellow running back
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