New England Patriots Surprise with Roster Cuts
The New England Patriots made significant moves to their roster on Tuesday, highlighting the cut of the player selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, Cole Strange, despite concerns about depth on the offensive line. Strange, a guard from Tennessee-Chattanooga, had been a starter in 29 games since former coach Bill Belichick drafted him 29th overall in the 2022 draft. He began the 2025 training camp under new coach Mike Vrabel as a starter, but fell down the depth chart after a week, starting to work more as a center for the second and third units. 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 primary backups. Strange suffered a serious knee injury at the end of the 2023 season, which limited him to only three games in 2024. However, this season he was fully recovered, having been recognized with one of the four offseason awards from the Patriots. In addition to Strange, the Patriots placed wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (2024 second-round pick) and veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai on injured reserve. Polk will miss the 2025 season, while Tavai has been designated to return from injured reserve, allowing him to play in 2025. The Patriots also released Bradyn Swinson, selected in the fifth round of 2025, an outside linebacker from LSU who was chosen 146th overall in the draft. 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 changes are expected in the roster in the coming days, with eight receivers on the initial 53-player list, 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 a substitute position at the guard position for the moment.Meanwhile, the Patriots received several trade offers for safety Kyle Dugger on Tuesday, according to a source, but his guaranteed salary of $9.75 million and how much of this New England was willing to assume, represented an obstacle in negotiations with other teams.
