Los Angeles Chargers
· 2026-07-06
The Los Angeles Chargers signed guard Cole Strange to a one-year deal worth $13 million, a move that could backfire and cause problems for the team.
The Chargers made several moves in NFL free agency, including signing new names at nearly every position group on offense.
They brought back Khalil Mack for another season, but the addition of Strange feels like the riskiest move.
Strange, a former first-round pick, has never really lived up to his billing, and his Pro Football Focus grade last year was 54.9, ranking him 58th out of 81 guards in the NFL.
The Chargers are counting on his familiarity with Mike McDaniel's scheme to help his play level, but it's a risky play.
The Chargers are currently standing 3rd in the American Football Conference with a 13-4 record, on a W8 streak, and their next game is against the Arizona Cardinals on 2026-09-13.
And with the Chargers not using all of their cap space, they could have avoided this risk by signing a more guaranteed player.
But for now, the team is hoping that Strange will be a steady performer in a scheme he fits well.
The Chargers drafted Jake Slaughter, a college center, to start at the other guard spot, but he's losing reps to free-agent journeyman Kayode Awosika.
So the last thing the Chargers can really afford to have is another repeat of major guard struggles at both spots.
Chris Roling, who has covered the NFL since 2010, thinks that this move could backfire and cause problems for the team.
The Chargers have made it clear through their actions this offseason that there won't really be any competition for Strange's starting spot.
But it's especially risky considering the Chargers took a ho-hum approach to the other guard spot.
The team is hoping that working in a Justin Herbert offense will help Strange's play level.