New England Patriots: Cole Strange, Surprisingly Cut
In an unexpected move, the New England Patriots have decided to release Cole Strange, their first-round pick in the 2022 draft. The decision, made despite concerns about the team’s offensive line depth, was one of the most notable during the roster cuts to comply with the league’s 53-player limit.
Strange, a guard from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, started in 29 games for the Patriots since former coach Bill Belichick selected him at number 29 in 2022. He began the 2025 training camp under new coach Mike Vrabel as a starter, but his position on the depth chart diminished after a week, starting to work more as the center of the second and third unit.
The Patriots are expected to start the 2025 season with Jared Wilson, selected in the third round, at the left guard position, with Ben Brown as one of the main backups.
Strange suffered a serious knee injury at the end of the 2023 season, which limited his participation to only three games in 2024. However, this season he was in perfect physical condition, having received one of the Patriots’ four offseason awards.
In addition to Strange, the Patriots placed wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (2024 second-round pick) and veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai on the injured reserve list. Polk will miss the 2025 season, while Tavai has been designated to return from the injured list and is still eligible to play in 2025.
The Patriots also cut Bradyn Swinson, selected in the fifth round of 2025, an outside linebacker from LSU. Swinson was one of two members of the team’s 11-player draft class, along with seventh-round cornerback Kobee Minor, who were cut.
Vrabel has indicated that more moves are expected in the coming days, so more changes are anticipated in New England, where eight receivers are on the initial 53-player roster, a group led by Stefon Diggs. By dispensing with Strange, the team kept nine offensive linemen, with Caedan Wallace, selected in the third round of 2024, securing one of the substitute positions as a guard for the time being.
