Patriots Cut 2022 First-Round Draft Pick
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots have parted ways with offensive lineman and former first-round draft pick Cole Strange, as they trimmed their roster to the required 53 players by the NFL’s imposed Tuesday deadline.
Strange, who once described playing for the Patriots as “dream come true” ultimately found difficulty in earning playing time with the first-team throughout training camp and the preseason. He was placed behind both rookie Jared Wilson and veteran Ben Brown at his natural position at left guard, while seeing only sporadic snaps at center behind presumed starter Garrett Bradbury.
Additionally, with the Pats having declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract by the NFL’s April 30 deadline, the proverbial handwriting was on the wall that Strange’s “dream” may be nearing a premature end.
While the thought of moving on from Strange may fail to elicit any great regret from many within the Patriots fan base, it remains to be seen whether the team will easily fill the 6’5”, 310-pound lineman’s shoes. Not only are there few free agent positional options currently on the open market, New England’s in-house swing interior linemen have yet to prove themselves as long-term starters.
Strange was originally selected by the Patriots in the first round (No. 29 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was named the team’s starting left guard out of training camp and started all 17 games for the Pats as a rookie. However, he suffered from both leg and knee injuries for the better part of the 2023 season, limiting him to nine games played. Despite his injuries, he still aligned on 564 offensive snaps, while being credited with only two penalties and three sacks-allowed.
However, in Week 15 of the 2023 season, Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, ending his sophomore campaign. Strange was placed on the reserve/PUP list to begin the 2024 season while recovering from his knee injury. He was not activated until December 10, at which time he aligned mostly at center in place of injured captain David Andrews.
At his best, he is a tenacious run-blocker with the quickness to generate sudden impact on power runs. He has also displayed an ability to seal defenders on zone runs. He has outstanding upper-body strength, as well as the large hands necessary to grasp defenders in pass protection. In addition to his size, he has fluid movement to mirror his opponent, as well as to recover when he struggles with a defender. Though he often had his ups and downs in the gap-heavy schemes deployed by New England’s coaches on offense, Strange has been quite successful in outside zone programs. While offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is expected to slightly lessen New England’s outside zone presence this season, he has not abandoned the concept.
Still, Strange routinely struggled to find his niche within the Patriots new-look offense.
Had New England chosen to use his fifth-year option, Strange would have remained in Foxborough through 2026. Unfortunately for New England, his retention would have come at a steep price. Under the terms of his contract, the Chattanooga product would have cost a fully-guaranteed $16.7 million against the salary cap next year. Based on Strange’s injury history and lack of production, the Pats ultimately decided the price to be too steep.
In addition to Strange, the Patriots released the following players on Tuesday: CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, S Marcus Epps, RB JaMycal Hasty, T Demontrey Jacobs, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, K Parker Romo, TE Gee Scott Jr., LB Bradyn Swinson and WR Jeremiah Webb.
The Patriots also placed receiver Ja’Lynn Polk and linebackerJahlani Tavai on injured reserve.
