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The New England Patriots have made significant investments in overhauling their offense this offseason. New England made a handful of savvy moves in free agency and spent the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on QB Drake Maye. The rookie Patriots QB looks to be without one of his main protectors for a portion of the 2024 NFL season.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapaport, Cole Strange will miss some of the 2024 regular season with a knee injury. He is expected to miss the start of the season and may be out until the middle of the regular season.
Strange is still dealing with a serious knee injury that he suffered late in the 2023 season. Prior to this injury, Strange had started every game he’s played for the Patriots.
“Yeah, that is an interesting one,” head coach Jerod Mayo said. “He is another guy, you would normally say day-by-day. He’s more of a, let’s say, week-by-week or you can go month-by-month if you want to. But he is working hard, you know, he is doing his rehab. He is here every day. He is in the meeting room, so I am happy where he is.”
Cole Strange was a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He is one of the main anchors on an offensive line that boasts starters like Mike Onwenu, Sidy Sow, Jake Andrews, and Chukwuma Okorafor.
The Patriots will need to find another option at left guard to help defend rookie QB Drake Maye during his first season in the NFL.
Who will replace Cole Strange in the Patriots starting lineup?
The Patriots have a handful of options already in house who could step in to replace Strange at left guard.
Right guard Sidy Sow is one option. He would have to move to the other side of the offensive line, but this transition is easier for interior lineman than it is for tackles. However, Sow would be expected to move back to right guard once Strange returns to the lineup. That could put a lot of strain on Sow to transition between positions in the middle of the season.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer guard Nick Leverett is next in line according to preliminary depth charts. Leverett didn’t take any snaps in the 2023 season, but he started 10 games for the Buccaneers in 2022 as a left guard. According to PFF, Leverett only gave up 12 total pressures in those 10 games and earned high marks for his pass blocking. He could be a solid choice to replace Strange for a handful of games.
There’s also fourth-round rookie Layden Robinson. He played at right guard throughout his collegiate career at Texas A&M. Robinson struggles with pass protection but found success with the Aggies as a powerful run blocker. That could be a useful skill set in the NFL, but doesn’t make him an ideal fit at left guard.
The Patriots will choose one of these three guys, likely Leverett, to fill in for Strange and will probably add another body to the roster for training camp.
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- The 'Recent seasons with 1,000 receiving yards' quiz
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