New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots trimmed their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday, and one guy who was part of the team’s cuts was offensive lineman Cole Strange. However, it looks like it didn’t take long for him to find a new home in the NFL.
The Patriots shocked the rest of the league when they selected Strange with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Strange was widely expected to come off the board during the second round of the draft, but instead, he ended up being a first-rounder.
As a rookie, Strange started all 17 games for New England, as it initially looked like Bill Belichick had outsmarted the rest of the league once again. Instead, he ended up just suiting up in 13 games over the past two seasons due to injury issues, and when he was on the field, he struggled to perform.
It quickly became apparent that Strange was on the outs early in training camp, and sure enough, he found himself without a job on Tuesday. However, he quickly landed with a new team, as the Cleveland Browns have reportedly signed him to their practice squad.
“Former Patriots first-round pick Cole Strange is signing with the Browns’ practice squad with the idea of being elevated to their active roster,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported.
With Strange gone, the Patriots will be rolling with either Jared Wilson or Ben Brown at left guard on their offensive line in 2025. It certainly wasn’t how the team was hoping Strange’s stint with the team went, but sometimes, you simply miss on draft picks.
New England’s trash is Cleveland’s treasure, as they will be looking to see if they can help Strange realize his potential in 2025. While he appears set to start on the Browns’ practice squad, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get elevated to the active roster at some point during the season.
