Guard Cole Strange of the New England Patriots may miss the majority of the regular season because of a persistent knee injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Tuesday.
Rapoport reports that Strange is expected to miss the beginning of the season, but he might not return until midway through.
For the Patriots, who have been rotating their offensive line for the previous two seasons, losing their starting offensive tackle is a major setback. It is not surprising that Strange is injured given the team’s offseason actions.
They began by adding veteran guard Nick Leverett, then doubled down by selecting former Texas A&M player Layden Robinson with a fourth-round draft pick. It’s obvious that such actions were taken to bolster the guard position, which might not have a starter for the next two years. Leverett and Sidy Sow were in the starting guard lineup for Monday’s OTA session. That might be the starting lineup for the Patriots in the first game, with Robinson acting as a vital backup.
