Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots will get to meet some familiar faces over the next two weeks. Both of their upcoming opponents, the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers, have added former members of the Patriots starting lineup.
The Dolphins announced on Tuesday, that they signed offensive lineman Cole Strange from the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad to their 53-man roster. The Steelers, meanwhile, have reportedly agreed to terms with safety Jabrill Peppers.
Strange, 27, originally joined the Patriots as the 29th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Chattanooga product showed promise early on in his career, starting 27 games at left guard over his first two seasons. However, a torn patellar tendon suffered late during his sophomore campaign disrupted his trajectory and forced him to spend the next 12 months in rehabilitation mode.
When Strange returned to the field in December 2024, he did so as a center rather than guard. He moved back to his old position under the Patriots’ new coaching staff this offseason, entering training camp as the team’s starting left guard. However, he eventually lost that job to rookie Jared Wilson and was later released ahead of the league’s roster cutdown deadline in late August — opening the door for him to join the Browns.
Peppers, 29, was a first-round pick by the Cleveland in 2017 and via a stint with the New York Giants found his way to New England in 2022. Over the next three seasons, he appeared in 38 games for the Patriots with 26 starts.
A one-time team captain, he looked locked into a starting role throughout the summer. However, with Jaylinn Hawkins solidifying himself as a top option in the backfield, and with rookie Craig Woodson emerging as well, the team decided it was time to cut ties: Peppers was released a few days after cutdowns.
The Patriots will play the Dolphins on the road this Sunday before returning to Foxborough for their Week 3 meeting with the Steelers a week later.
