Sean McVay gets the last laugh after Patriots cut failed first-round pick

Few coaches (or players), if any, have a higher football IQ than Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams. His thought process is sound, which typically translates to him being on the right side of the ledger more often than not. Perhaps there's no greater testament to this than the New England Patriots reportedly cutting offensive lineman Cole Strange at the NFL's 53-man roster deadline.

The Patriots waived Strange, a first-round pick in 2022, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. McVay inadvertently foreshadowed this move when New England surprised everyone by taking the 27-year-old as early as they did. Fast forward to the present, and the prophecy has been fulfilled.

Rams HC Sean McVay was right all along after Patriots cut failed first-round pick Cole Strange

Hindsight is always 20/20, though McVay saw this coming from a mile away. As many remember, he and Rams general manager Les Snead went viral for their real-time reaction to the Pats choosing Strange. Los Angeles' brain trust couldn't believe it, especially since they were eyeing the once-promising blocker as a potential Round 3 target.

"Cole Strange just went," were the first words that came out of McVay's mouth after his jaw hit the floor in shock. "How 'bout that? And we wasted our time watching him, thinking he'd be [there] at 104, baby," which got the media in attendance laughing aloud.

Public backlash prompted McVay and Snead to address the matter and emphasize that neither was mocking Strange or the Patriots days after it happened. They cleared the air and ensured everyone knew their comments weren't meant to be a dig at New England. Nevertheless, a few offseasons later, Los Angeles' decision-making duo was proven right; call them Nostradamus.

A torn patellar tendon late in the 2023 campaign limited Strange to four games in 2024. But even when healthy, he's failed to live up to his lofty draft pedigree. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him as the No. 61-ranked center last season -- out of 64 qualified options. The former UT-Chattanooga uncharacteristically standout fared well in pass protection but struggled mightily in rushing situations.

McVay and the Rams may have unintentionally been correct about Strange's ineffectiveness. However, for whatever it's worth, they were even more wrong about their selection in the third round instead of him: guard Logan Bruss. L.A. got zero offensive snaps from its alternative option before waiving him last summer.