Sportsnaut
Several players showed out for the Patriots in the preseason opener against the Commanders. The team rolled to a dominant 48-18 win and looked efficient and prepared in all phases.
One of the players who DID NOT come out of preseason Week 1 in good standing is former first-round pick Cole Strange. Strange began the offseason program as the favorite to start at left guard but ended up ceding that spot to rookie Jared Wilson.
It was thought that, as a former top pick, Strange would have a chance to bounce back and earn his spot again. Instead, it now seems most likely that Strange is playing elsewhere come Week 1.
After the preseason opener, Karen Guregian of MassLive and Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston both published updated 53-man roster projections, and neither had Strange making the team. And, as Sara Marshall of Musket Fire put it, “It’s not looking good for Cole Strange to make the Patriots’ 2025 roster.”
Against the Commanders, Strange tied for the team lead in snaps among guards, with 25. It’s probably not a good sign that Strange played more snaps than Wilson, Tyrese Robinson, and Garrett Bradbury.
Strange started every game in his rookie season, and delivered mixed results. The guard was still considered to be a cornerstone of the Patriots’ line, though, at the time. However, Strange’s career took a turn when he suffered a torn patellar tendon late in 2023, and as a result, played in just three games in 2024.
Still, Strange entered this offseason with a chance to prove himself to a new coaching staff. Instead, the veteran has been supplanted by Wilson and has even been relegated to third-string center. It seems like Will Campbell, Wilson, Bradbury, Mike Onwenu, and Morgan Moses will be the starters, while Marcus Bryant, Ben Brown, and Robinson appear to be in the lead for the backup spots.
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