The Los Angeles Chargers' offensive line has once again suffered a destabilizing injury following the Tyler Biadasz injury, and Cole Strange isn't making fans feel reassured.
Strange, who is projected to start at right guard, is one of a few Chargers players who could get some burn at center after the Biadasz injury if rookie Jake Slaughter is not ready to go. If the Chargers' preseason blowout at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers is anything to go by, Strange should not get any center reps. Even right guard is no sure thing.
In a four-play sequence, Strange ended up on the ground twice after getting demolished at the line of scrimmage, lost a pass rush rep so quickly that Trey Lance was under pressure immediately, and completely whiffed on a stunt that led to another pressure on Lance. If only there were years of evidence that could have shown the Chargers what Strange's talent level is.
Chargers' Cole Strange struggling should give center role to Jake Slaughter
Strange is a bit of a personnel heat check by Mike McDaniel, as he brought him to Miami after some poor seasons with the New England Patriots and helped him make the journey to Los Angeles this season. The early returns have been uninspiring after the former Dolphins guard put together an uninspiring 2025 season in South Beach.
Strange has always been a, well, let's say peculiar player to evaluate. While he was picked in the first round back in 2022, that was considered a genuinely shocking move, as many expected him to be picked in the third or fourth-round, at the absolute highest. From Day 1, Strange did not live up to the hype.
Strange is now on his third team in three years and has never looked like an above-average guard despite McDaniel and others believing in his athletic ability. Slaughter, meanwhile, has held his own after moving back to his natural collegiate position of center.
Slaughter was considered a bit of an overdraft as well, but if he is indeed going to play center instead of some ill-fated guard move, Chargers fans should expect a fairly robust performance during his rookie season. Strange has shown that he still has a ton of groundwork to do, and center is not the spot for him.
Strange is standing out as the weak spot on this Chargers offensive line, and it could make fans beg for Mekhi Becton to come back if he keeps playing like this.
Add us as a preferred source on Google