The Cleveland Browns are making a strong signing on Wednesday. 53-man rosters are now set for every team in the NFL, and there have been a done of cuts and waivers, freeing up players to make a different roster. On Wednesday, the Browns added former New England Patriots first-round pick Cole Strange to the practice squad, with intentions of potentially promoting him to the active roster for Sundays.
On Tuesday, Strange was waived by the Patriots as he did not make the final roster. Strange has been a starting guard (29 games) for the Patriots since he was drafted by Bill Belichick in 2022. Strange was drafted out of Chattanooga, but was one of the top linemen in the country while in college.
Now in Cleveland, Strange will have a chance to be a contributor for a team whose future is uncertain.
Joe Flacco is QB1 for the Browns. He will be behind a decent offensive line. Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller led the group as guards, and Dawand Jones and Jack Conklin are expected to be the starting tackles. Ethan Pocic will be the center. Strange will need to prove himself, but if all goes well, we could see him on Sundays as a backup guard.
On Tuesday, the Browns officially named Dillon Gabriel as the backup quarterback behind Joe Flacco. This does not come as a shock, as he had been listed above Shedeur Sanders for all of training camp and preseason action. Sanders will be used as an emergency quarterback for the time being.
The Browns have been all over the news this offseason, and for a team with little to no expectations, it will be interesting to see how the team navigates through the season. It will only be a matter of time until one of Gabriel or Sanders is under center for the Browns. And who knows, maybe Cole Strange will be blocking for them.
