Patriots Trade RB Pierre Strong Jr. to Browns

The second-year running back is headed to Cleveland in return for offensive line help.

Luke Easterling | Aug 27, 2023

Patriots Trade RB Pierre Strong Jr. to Browns /

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The New England Patriots are trading running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr., per multiple reports.

A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of South Dakota State, Strong flashed potential in limited work as a rookie last season in New England, racking up 100 rushing yards on just 10 carries. He added 42 yards receiving on seven catches, as well as a rushing touchdown.

Wheatley went undrafted in 2020, and spent time with the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders before landing with the Browns in 2022.

Strong is now in position to battle with Jerome Ford for the backup job in Cleveland behind star running back Nick Chubb, while Wheatley will give the Pats some added depth in the offensive trenches.

Published Aug 27, 2023

LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more. Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com