I actually don’t blame Patriots fans for still holding onto the Cole Strange dream – he’s one of the last draft picks of the Bill Belichick era, and given how things have gone in New England (and, uh, for Bill) since The Golden Days ended, everyone’s just looking for a little hit of nostalgia, as a treat. That’s Strange.

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Still – there’s no denying the results haven’t been there. The pick felt a little too contrarian in the moment, and that’s probably a nice way of putting it now. Injuries derailed his third year last season, but it’s not like the first two were all that encouraging – which helps explain why Strange shows up on Bleacher Report’s latest list of trade candidates.

Cole Strange may be running out of time in New England

“When the New England Patriots drafted small-school standout Cole Strange out of Chattanooga (choo-choo) in 2022, it sent quite a few eyebrows skyward. But it was hardly the first time Bill Belichick had zigged when others zagged. Strange has shown nothing to indicate that Belichick was right. The 6’5”, 310-pounder started all 17 games at left guard as a rookie but struggled mightily. Then, the injuries hit—Strange missed seven games in 2023 and played in just three a year ago. Not surprisingly, the Patriots passed on Strange’s fifth-year option … Strange isn’t going to beat out veteran Garrett Bradbury at center, and his days in New England appear to be numbered. If that’s the case, the Pats’ best bet may be to admit the mistake, get what they can and give Strange a fresh start somewhere else.”

They should just trade him! It’s that simple! Just fire up the ol’ trade machine, find one that works, then call the other teams for a little courtesy heads-up. Running an NFL team really isn’t as hard as people make it.

It’s not that Bleacher Report’s bigger premise is necessarily wrong – Strange’s days in New England probably are numbered – but the whole ‘admit your mistake and get what you can’ bit is doing a lot of work for this bit. Who’s going to trade literally anything for a below-average guard that just had his fifth-year option declined? If the Patriots can get anything for him, great – that just feels as equally unlikely as Strange reclaiming his job there in the first place. What a great spot to be in. Thanks, Bill! (I’m kidding, but only kinda.)