Chargers Missed on Offseason Decision: Analyst
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is in his prime with a solid cast around him, and he just led his team to the playoffs last season.
That said, Herbert took way too many hits last season with 54 sacks, a career high. ESPN's Seth Walder believes the Chargers squarely missed at protecting Herbert by "not spending more at guard," and Walder gave the Chargers an –A grade for the offseason.
Los Angeles acquired former New England Patriots guard Cole Strange for a two-year, $13 million deal this offseason. Strange has good qualities at guard, but he only had a 54.9 grade with Pro Football Focus in 2025.
Walder pointed out that the Chargers had better options at guard than Strange amid ample salary cap space. It's not the best timing for the Chargers because Herbert has been getting heavily in recent years, as he had 41 sacks in 2024.
The Chargers can't afford to lose Herbert, and his durability to this point isn't guaranteed despite his track record of playing 15-17 games every year of his career except 2023, when he played 13.
As for Strange, the Chargers now have a project in a young guard who hasn't reached his full potential. New England took him with the No. 29 pick in 2022 from Chattanooga.
The Patriots started Strange in 17 games as a rookie when the team went 8-9 in 2022, and he started 10 games in the 2023 season, when the team cratered to 3-14. Strange dealt with a knee injury in 2024, and the Patriots released him the following year.
He found his way back to the field after practice squad stints with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins in 2025. Strange earned a starting role with the Dolphins last year, and he followed former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to Los Angeles.
McDaniel took the offensive coordinator position with the Chargers after losing the Dolphins job. While he is clearly a coach who shows high confidence in his players, bringing Strange into the fold may not work out as well as other options the team could have pursued.
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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 10:45 AM.