Patriots ‘put on a good effort’ vs Panthers: 3 players Belichick praised
New England Patriots getting a good look at Cole Strange
The New England Patriots 2022 first-round pick will be under the spotlight because he was such a strange pick given where he was taken in the draft.
But if Cole Strange proves to be a solid addition to the offensive line, Bill Belichick will look like a genius. Then again, critics will still wonder why the Patriots coach didn’t wait to select Strange.
In any event, the rookie offensive lineman held his own against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. He wasn’t playing against starters but showed signs he will be a good player along that offensive line.
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Strange ended up laying well into the third quarter, which gave Belichick a long look at his young rookie.
"“Well, again for all the guys that don’t have a lot of experience, certainly he would fall into that category, just the more playing time, the opportunity you get, the more they learn, the more they build their conditioning and see different things from the defense,” Belichick said. “Carolina did a nice job tonight mixing things up with some pressure, some man pressure, some zone pressure, mixed the fronts up. They have a good defensive front, which is good for our offensive line to see.”"
In not singling Strange out, Belichick seemed to be exactly talking about the rookie as far as seeing how he handles different fronts and different situations. With his strength, he held up well and looks like he will help that New England Patriots offensive line turn into a pretty solid one as the regular season moves forward.