The Cincinnati Bengals' problems along the offensive line are becoming a tiresome, persistent talking point. We're years into this now. Who Dey Nation is tired. We just want Joe Burrow to be protected as well as possible.
Sure, Joe Brrr can mask a lot of flaws on any team with his MVP-level play, but why make it more difficult on him than it has to be? Count on Cincinnati's front office to up the degree of difficulty and cut corners wherever possible.
Perhaps that's not a totally fair assessment. It just comes across like all the other Super Bowl contenders do more on an annual basis than the Bengals brass does to attack their pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy.
Behold, however: There is a potential solution to Cincinnati's woes in the trenches.
Patriots' Cole Strange floated as a trade candidate
Although I've seen this bandied about on Twitter here and there, The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. named New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange as a Bengals trade target.
Here's the most salient textual chunk of Dehner's rationale for swinging a deal for Strange, where he cites the poor play of bargain-bin right guard Lucas Patrick:
"The reason Strange stands out is that his position coach last year is current Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters. Familiarity with his strike system would fast-track the integration, and at the very least, he could serve as Patrick’s insurance if his season goes sideways. At best, he could arrive, integrate and impress as a change-of-scenery candidate to bring an average level of play to a spot that has been a major problem since Alex Cappa started falling off in 2023."
What a savvy bit of insight. Having familiarity with Scott Peters would definitely make Strange's transition to new stripes a lot easier. Plus, Peters presumably knows how to get the best out of the 27-year-old.
Strange's tantalizing athleticism would be a breath of fresh air for Cincinnati's typical preference for burly, less-athletic interior o-linemen. It's a big reason why Bill Belichick thought enough of Strange to spend the 29th overall pick on him back in 2022.
Do not forget that #Patriots Cole Strange is one of the most talented OGs to come out of the NFL Draft since 1987 (7th of 1298).
— Justin Trombino (@Trombino20) June 13, 2025
(📸RAS Football) pic.twitter.com/gZHl6WWGHz
One potential issue is that the Bengals already have a starting left guard in rookie third-rounder Dylan Fairchild. That's Strange's typical position, although he moved to center last season during an injury-riddled year where he was coming back from a torn patellar tendon suffered late in 2023.
That same injury is what just happened to Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater, and it typically doesn't bode well for any player as far as returning to their previous peak form.
I feel like since Strange plays between the tackles and is already an exceptional athlete, he'd have an easier time reestablishing himself as a starting-caliber player. However, the Pats declined Strange's fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He isn't running with New England's starters, either, and could very well be on the roster bubble.
While Dehner proposes trading a late-round draft choice, the Bengals have balked at such deals in the past. They're historically predisposed to sticking and picking in the draft at every turn. It's not at all unrealistic that Strange could be left off the Pats' 53-man roster once final cuts roll around.
Of course, the risk of waiting until then is considerable. Strange has accrued less than four years of NFL service (three), so he'd be subject to waivers if he were cut. That means plenty of other teams would have a crack at Strange before Cincinnati, as the waiver order is based on the NFL Draft order (h/t ESPN's Field Yates). That leaves the Bengals in 17th position for all waiver claims.
Given that the Bengals' trade for running back Khalil Herbert this past November resulted in a burned seventh-round pick with minimal return, I doubt they'll be in the market for that sort of swap again any time soon. And I don't think the Bengals can afford to deal away any players, given their dubious roster depth at basically every position besides wide receiver.
Not holding my breath on a prospective Cole Strange trade. It's probably a pipe dream, but shoot, I don't know how he couldn't do better than Patrick, Cody Ford, or anyone else in the Bengals building who they want to toss into the mix before Week 1 kicks off.