FOXBORO — It’s often frowned upon to stroll as much as somebody and ask, “Hey, did you gain weight?”
It’s not at all times a nasty factor when addressing an offensive lineman, although. And for Patriots left guard Cole Strange, weight was a difficulty for the 2022 first-round choose as a rookie.
But Strange regarded greater in his return to the sector in Week 7 from a knee damage, and it coincided with the Patriots’ greatest offensive line efficiency by far this season in Sunday’s win over the Bills.
So, did Strange achieve some weight?
“Yeah, a little bit,” Strange instructed the Herald. “I wasn’t trying to add too much because I wasn’t playing. So, it’s like if you’re just adding on a bunch of weight, then it’s probably just fat. But I was trying to gain the best weight I could.”
Strange mentioned he felt “light” at instances final 12 months and that he was feeling higher Week 7 in opposition to the Bills.
The Chattanooga product let up three hurries in that recreation.
“This year I felt a little bit more sure,” Strange mentioned. “Like there are still dudes who are big and strong enough to move you out of the way, but I do feel a little bit better weight wise this year for sure.”
So, what precisely is the method for a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive line so as to add weight midseason?
“Eat as much as you can without — there’s a goal of weight that you try to get to,” Strange mentioned. “You want to kind of slowly get there over time. Obviously you’re lifting and working out too. I’d say a mirror check every now and then is good. If I’m standing there and hitting one of those numbers, like I need to chill out, subtract the Little Debbies.”
It was talked about to Strange that former Patriots offensive lineman Ted Karras would eat a complete field of cereal — with milk — each night time to maintain his weight up. Strange may give {that a} shot.
It’s higher than the choice he tried up to now.
“For a brief time frame, and that is most likely what led to me beginning the mirror examine as a result of I used to be trying like a lard-ass, is I might get like a giant bowl and put a bunch of Oreos in there and fill it up with milk after which eat it like cereal.
“I went to Trader Joe’s. They just have chocolates and cookies, and I got a bunch of that. And I was like, ‘I have to slow down on this.’”
So, now it’s again to rooster and rice for Strange. And perhaps some nightly cereal.
It’s helped him immensely to be again on the observe discipline in latest weeks. Strange missed most of coaching camp with a knee damage suffered on the primary day of padded practices. It even saved him out of Week 1. He was again on the sector for Week 2 earlier than struggling one other knee damage late within the Patriots’ Week 3 win over the Jets. He began Week 7 however continues to be formally listed as restricted on the damage report.
“The best thing you can do is taking mental reps and watching film and trying to stay locked in that way,” Strange mentioned. “But there’s really no replacement for just going through those movements, for me at least. Some guys I think can watch film and don’t have to practice. They’re just good. But I gotta practice and even then, I’ve got to practice for weeks so I can get back into my groove. It’s tough not being able to do that.”
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones confronted simply seven pressures in Sunday’s win. The offensive line averaged over 14 pressures per recreation over the primary six weeks of the season. Strange’s return — and a few added weight — helped. So too did a return and a transfer from proper guard to proper deal with for Mike Onwenu and robust play from rookie proper guard Sidy Sow.
Source: www.bostonherald.com