FIRST LOOK: Cole Strange Is Introduced As A New England Patriot

When the New England Patriots took guard Cole Strange out of the University of Chattanooga, it was an understatement that the selection turned many heads across the media and fans in the immediate aftermath of the surprise pick.

To Bill Belichick however, Strange was in fact the top player on the team’s board when the Patriots were making their choice at pick 29 and defended his choice during a press conference.

“Yeah, I mean, we feel like that was a good — a guy that fits well — Cole fits well into our team and our system, and obviously think he’s a good player. It’s a composite of work with any player, so whatever opportunities you have to evaluate him, you evaluate him. … We took the best option that we had, whether it was at 21 or 29 — whatever it ended up being, 29. At those two points, we felt like we made the best choice that we could. … He wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

Fast forward to Friday, Strange traveled to Foxboro for the first time for a formal meeting with Robert Kraft and an ensuing press conference of his own.

Check out Strange’s first comments as a Patriot and his day touring Gillette Stadium below.

Cole Strange on what it means to be a New England Patriot pic.twitter.com/k4DC48msxO

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) April 29, 2022

Cole Strange says he invents “narratives” in his head to fire himself up on game day, as Michael Jordan explained doing in The Last Dance.

Such as?

“The pettiest thing that you can think of that shouldn’t bother you, and you just go down that rabbit hole of feeding that wolf.” pic.twitter.com/xRSlnCdRMq

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) April 29, 2022

Cole Strange is "fired up" to be in New England and he already has dinner plans with Mac Jones pic.twitter.com/Q196zlp4tT

— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) April 29, 2022