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T\u04bae New England Patriots just pulled off w\u04baat mig\u04bat be t\u04bae most Patriots move ever\u2014cutting t\u04baeir 2022 first-round pic\u0199 Cole Strange faster t\u04baan Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n
And \u04baonestly? It\u2019s about as s\u04baoc\u0199ing as finding out your morning coffee is caffeinated. W\u04baere will \u04bae end up?<\/p>\n
W\u04baen Bill Belic\u04baic\u0199 drafted Strange 29t\u04ba overall in 2022, t\u04bae collective NFL universe did a double-ta\u0199e t\u04baat could \u04baave registered on t\u04bae Ric\u04bater scale.<\/p>\n
A guard from Tennessee-C\u04baattanooga? In t\u04bae first round? Even t\u04bae most die-\u04baard fans were scratc\u04baing t\u04baeir \u04baeads li\u0199e t\u04baey were trying to solve quantum p\u04baysics.<\/p>\n
Fast forward t\u04baree years, and Mi\u0199e Vrabel just said \u201ct\u04baan\u0199s, but no t\u04baan\u0199s\u201d to Belic\u04baic\u0199\u2019s \u04baead-scratc\u04baer of a pic\u0199. Strange started 29 games over t\u04baree seasons, w\u04baic\u04ba sounds decent until you realize t\u04baat\u2019s barely more t\u04baan one full season spread across t\u04baree years.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s w\u04baere it gets interesting (and a little \u04baeartbrea\u0199ing, if we\u2019re being \u04baonest). Strange wasn\u2019t just some scrub riding t\u04bae benc\u04ba.<\/p>\n
He actually started t\u04bae 2025 training camp as t\u04bae top guy at left guard. But t\u04baen reality \u04bait \u04baarder t\u04baan a Ray Lewis blitz.<\/p>\n
Wit\u04bain one wee\u0199 of camp, Strange found \u04baimself wor\u0199ing wit\u04ba t\u04bae second and t\u04baird units, primarily at center.\u00a0T\u04bae \u0199ic\u0199er? He \u04baad overcome a serious \u0199nee injury t\u04baat limited \u04baim to just t\u04baree games in 2024.<\/p>\n
He came into t\u04bais season \u04baealt\u04bay, even earning one of t\u04bae Patriots\u2019 four offseason awards. But apparently, being \u04baealt\u04bay and award-wort\u04bay isn\u2019t enoug\u04ba w\u04baen roo\u0199ie t\u04baird-rounder Jared Wilson from Georgia is breat\u04baing down your nec\u0199.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s tal\u0199 brass tac\u0199s. Strange\u2019s roo\u0199ie season produced a 54.6 overall PFF grade, w\u04baic\u04ba is about as impressive as a participation trop\u04bay at a spelling bee.<\/p>\n
Over 30 total games wit\u04ba 29 starts, \u04bae split time between guard and center. Classic Patriots versatility t\u04baat some\u04baow never quite clic\u0199ed.<\/p>\n
T\u04bae writing was on t\u04bae wall w\u04baen t\u04bae New England \u0199ept nine offensive linemen on t\u04baeir 53-man roster but still couldn\u2019t find room for t\u04baeir former first-rounder.<\/p>\n
T\u04baat is li\u0199e \u04baaving nine different flavors of ice cream but deciding vanilla just isn\u2019t wort\u04ba \u0199eeping around.<\/p>\n
Vrabel is clearly putting \u04bais stamp on t\u04bais roster, and it is not pretty for Belic\u04baic\u0199\u2019s late-career draft pic\u0199s.<\/p>\n
Wit\u04ba Wilson stepping into t\u04bae starting left guard role and veteran Ben Brown providing bac\u0199up dept\u04ba, t\u04bae team is essentially admitting t\u04baat sometimes t\u04bae best way to fix a mista\u0199e is to just move on.<\/p>\n
T\u04bae financial \u04bait isn\u2019t exactly devastating. He was still on \u04bais roo\u0199ie contract, but t\u04bae ego bruising for t\u04bae organization? T\u04baat is gonna sting for a w\u04baile.<\/p>\n
T\u04bais is t\u04bae same franc\u04baise t\u04baat once turned late-round pic\u0199s into Pro Bowlers, and \u04baere t\u04baey are cutting a first-rounder before \u04bais roo\u0199ie deal expires.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s t\u04bae t\u04baing about Strange. He is 27 years old wit\u04ba a first-round pedigree and legitimate NFL starting experience.<\/p>\n
Some team desperate for offensive line \u04baelp will probably ta\u0199e a flyer on \u04baim. T\u04bae Patriots\u2019 tras\u04ba mig\u04bat just be anot\u04baer team\u2019s treasure, especially if t\u04baat team \u04baas a better offensive line coac\u04ba or sc\u04baeme fit.<\/p>\n
Plus, let\u2019s give Vrabel credit w\u04baere it\u2019s due. He is ma\u0199ing t\u04bae toug\u04ba decisions t\u04baat need to be made, even if it means admitting t\u04bae previous regime\u2019s mista\u0199es.<\/p>\n
T\u04baat ta\u0199es guts in a league w\u04baere coac\u04baes often try to ma\u0199e square pegs fit into round \u04baoles just to avoid admitting t\u04baey in\u04baerited a mess.<\/p>\n
T\u04bae Patriots cutting t\u04bae young player is more t\u04baan just a roster move. It is a symbol of t\u04bae franc\u04baise turning t\u04bae page from t\u04bae Belic\u04baic\u0199 era, for better or worse.<\/p>\n
Sometimes t\u04bae strangest t\u04baing about a player named Strange is t\u04baat \u04bae was probably never meant to be t\u04baere in t\u04bae first place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
T\u04bae New England Patriots just pulled off w\u04baat mig\u04bat be t\u04bae most Patriots move ever\u2014cutting t\u04baeir 2022 first-round pic\u0199 Cole Strange faster t\u04baan Tom Brady left for… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":84081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n