At the end of preseason last month, the Cleveland Browns made an interesting addition to their practice squad, picking up former New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange.
The 26-year-old Strange was among the final cuts for New England ahead of the roster cutdown deadline, as the writing was on the wall for him with the Pats over the last few months. Nonetheless, Strange was getting a second chance with the Browns, who could always use the extra depth on the offensive line on the 53-man roster or practice squad.
But the former first-round pick’s time in Cleveland is already coming to an end. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported on Tuesday that the Miami Dolphins signed Strange off the Browns’ practice squad.
Cole Strange Gifted Second Chance After Recently Joining Browns
It’s not rare to see a team poach a guy off another team’s practice squad after one week of action, as injuries happen every week in the NFL. This is the current situation for the Dolphins, who are banged up at a couple of spots on the offensive line (right guard James Daniels and right tackle Austin Jackson).
Daniels injured his right pectoral muscle early in the Dolphins’ Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and could reportedly miss a couple of weeks. This is where Strange comes into play, as the Dolphins likely don’t want to throw backup tackle Kion Smith at guard.
Strange hasn’t played right guard in the NFL, but has spent most of his NFL career at left guard. The Dolphins are taking a notable risk on the now ex-Browns offensive lineman, who was viewed as a developmental prospect when the Patriots drafted him.
In his rookie season with the Patriots, Strange had a disastrous 54.6 overall grade on Pro Football Focus as he started in all 17 games at left guard. After that, the former first-round offensive lineman started in 12 games over his last two seasons, thanks to injuries, finishing with a 64.6 in 2023 and 48.6 last season.
That being said, the ex-Browns lineman has the perfect opportunity in front of him to debunk the narrative about himself with the Dolphins. Coincidentally, Strange’s first test could come against the Patriots on Sunday. If the veteran lineman plays well and Miami wins, it would be sweet revenge.