Fans thought Cole Strange could be something of a revelation to their offensive line when he came back to the lineup after a torn patellar tendon kept him out for most of 2024. While he had been far from elite in his career, there was little doubt he was better than other offensive linemen the Patriots featured: Demontrey Jacobs, Ben Brown, Vederian Lowe... the list goes on.
He started the final two games at center over Brown, recording a more than respectable 79.0 PFF pass blocking grade in his 117 snaps.
2025 brought in a new staff and new players, but that wouldn't appear to be a problem for Strange at the beginning of the process. Both Garrett Bradbury and Jared Wilson are centers by trade, while Strange was primarily a guard through his NFL career. Rookie Layden Robinson had an abysmal rookie season, so competition seemed slim for the UT-Chattanooga product.
Cole Strange lost his starting job to multiple rookies this offseason
As the offseason moved on, reports started circulating that Jared Wilson, drafted to play center, was playing with the first team offensive line at practice -- at left guard. When he went down with an injury, 2024 center Ben Brown replaced him, not Cole Strange. What we saw in the first preseason game was most concerning for the former Moc: the team rolled out its first-team line, and he wasn't there.
While we had heard reports, we finally saw the first team line not feature Strange. In the next game, the line remained pat except for Wilson at left guard: Ben Brown had replaced him. It was also revealed that the team was working on moving 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace inside to guard, creating even more competition.
In the end, he finished with a 47.4 PFF grade in the preseason, which slots him 19th worst among guards. 162 other guards qualified to be ranked. At the moment, I see Mike Onwenu, Bradbury, Wilson, Brown, and Wallace all making the team across the interior. Another three tackles, and that's a full offensive line room.
Given his draft status, there's still a chance a team could bite on a trade. After all, the Patriots got a pick back for Jonnu Smith and Jordan Richards at different points. All in all, though, Strange went from a penciled-in starter to a depth piece in just a few weeks. We'll see if he has long-term success in the NFL, but it won't likely be in Foxborough.