FOXBORO — Bill Belichick has crafted a staff of offensive masterminds during his time with the Patriots, with Charlie Weis, Josh McDaniels and Bill O’Brien turning their work into more prolific opportunities.

Now, wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea is the latest to have his name floated around the league as an up-and-comer. O’Shea, who has been with the Pats since 2009, might be in the middle of his most impressive season, fitting a cast of rookies and new acquisitions into Tom Brady’s machine.

It starts with an unrelenting work ethic, quality people skills and a true desire to teach. Maybe someday down the line, it could turn O’Shea into the next big thing.

“I don’t think he has a ceiling,” O’Brien told the Herald this week. “Because of his work ethic and his demeanor, the way he carries himself, whatever he wants to do with his career, he should be able to do. He’s a bright guy, a hardworking guy and a really good staff guy.

“Whatever he puts his mind to do, whatever he wants to do, because of his work ethic and the type of guy he is, I think he should be able to do.”

O’Brien, who is in his second season as Penn State’s coach, recognized O’Shea’s value as soon as the pair met at the 2009 scouting combine. And later, O’Brien credited O’Shea with progressing Julian Edelman from a college quarterback to an NFL wide receiver. It took dedication from all parties involved, but the long meetings and additional hours at Gillette Stadium sound like the same ones O’Shea has had this season with rookies Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce, marquee free agent Danny Amendola and midseason signee Austin Collie, who was released Tuesday because of a knee injury.

“That was something that I always admired about Chad, all the extra meetings he would have with younger guys or free agents,” said O’Brien, who was the Patriots wide receivers coach in 2008 before he was promoted to offensive coordinator. “He never once backed off from that. He always was eager to meet with those guys and help them get better. You could see it the next day on the field. You were always impressed by how quickly some of those guys picked things up and it was because of the extra meeting time.”

O’Shea has a strong football background, so he’s adept at relating to his players. His father, Mike O’Shea, worked on the Baltimore Colts staff with Belichick in 1975, so there’s also symmetry in the current relationship.

O’Shea runs a fun, yet productive, meeting room with his players, who love to joke around with him but never question the voice of authority. That’s what makes the added sessions so fruitful, whether it’s an extra 30-60 minutes with the rookies or at least two additional hours per day when Collie signed.

And O’Shea has to be on point all day every day. He typically arrives at Gillette at 5 a.m. to draw up the routes based on the weekly game plan and then passes them to the receivers before the team meeting. That’s when O’Shea instructs his players to stay attentive to the other positions, too, to ensure they understand every player’s assignment or adjustment on any given play.

“That’s why we always encourage our guys in meetings to make sure they’re listening to corrections of other position coaches and players being made,” O’Shea said. “Because if we understand the big picture, it’s going to help in their understanding of the offense as a whole.”

The typical day continues with a walkthrough, another meeting, a practice, a film review and then any necessary one-on-one time with the receivers. Obviously, it’s a demanding job for a rookie to meet Brady’s expectations, and it’s up to O’Shea to facilitate that on-field chemistry. But other responsibilities, including blocking assignments and hot routes in the run and pass game, have to be in order for the coaching staff to trust the receivers on the field, too.

O’Shea’s tireless drive to keep them ready has paid off. Dobson has been the Pats’ most productive pass catcher over the last four weeks and is easily on pace to have the best rookie season of the Brady era. Thompkins also played a key role in the first two months, while Edelman effectively has handled multiple roles. Amendola, when healthy, has shown signs of being an apt fill-in for Wes Welker, who also used to spend countless sessions refining his craft with O’Shea.

There’s a theme from past Patriots and current ones. They trust O’Shea because they recognize his motivation to make them better players.

Eventually, that drive could mean bigger things for the 40-year-old’s own career.

“He understands the hard work,” O’Brien said, “that goes into trying to be the best that goes into your craft.”