Official 2026 Chargers Roster Discussion | Roster Build | Free Agency

[dmac_bolt]

What you call humorous noise is simply the factual rating numbers from the 2025 whole body of work. I just posted the facts. I can see the chart you posted and it does show improvement late in the season except for the TB game. That is encouraging to see but hardly conclusive as it is a very small sample size in his overall 4 year body of work. It requires consistent high quality offensive line play for a team to go ona deep playoff run... whether Cole Strange can provide that is very much up in the air.

I also would not call his previous 4 year career "irrelevent clutter" Seriously YAC we can come up with a litany of excuses for every failed first round draft pick if we try hard enough.

His time in NE was bad enough that didn't even have a job until September when he signed for 1.1 million to be a back up. He started only because the starter, James Daniels, tore his pec.

He may work out and we all hope he does. But I am not ready to pencil in Stange as a surefire quality starter because he played a few decent games for McDaniel last year on the 26th ranked offense in the NFL. The jury is still out. Cole does fit the system well because he is very fast off the line and getting to the 2nd level. His run blocking should be fine but he is always going to struggle a little as a pass blocker because he is just not very strong and can be over powered by strong rushers.

Hopefully the Chargers draft a really solid guard early and then Cole can fill out the line at RG and that can work. His salary of 6.5 million is at the bottom rung for a starting guard in the NFL and there is a reason for that. That is his value, Market dictates. He is a bottom level starting guard which why he is paid like one. . Some observers were even surprised he got 6.5.

Maybe he breaks out in year 5 of his career. That would be a great outcome though a bit of an outlier. Where we differ is that you assume he is a plug and play good starter that instantly solves our RG issue. I do not. I need to see some consistent good play over more time and would have preferred to have Strange competing for a starting job within a deeper o line group rather than just hand him the starting RG job.

You guys are both right:
- his overall grade is a sub-standard level
- data trend the last 3rd of last year was up and appears different

There are actual statistical tests to quantify the probability that the observed difference is random noise from the same population, or indicates an actual change. They are called hypothesis tests, extremely common statistical tests / tool. The null hypothesis is that they are actually the same, we want to see a P value < 5% to disprove this assumption.

Fortunately YAC described his statistical expertise, let’s let him go apply a paired analysis test cuz I’m in my joggers sipping early morning coffee …

I've returned. It seems YAC may be stuck so I performed a t-test of two groups to test the hypothesis that they have the same mean (average):

The P-value for the null hypothesis is 0.0397. We reject the hypothesis and conclude his better performance is actually better

Group	Grade
1	38.5
1	11.8
1	27.1
1	63.7
1	18.3
1	59.3
1	48.7
2	60.6
2	86.4
2	53.9
2	69
2	60.4
2	30.9
2	66.8

[Bolt4Knob]

Hate to be pigeonholed in a draft but we pretty much have to do that

With the lack of picks, a trade down and grab Bisontis would be ideal...but that takes a partner in a weaker draft

This is my ideal scenario but like you said, takes a partner in a weak draft. Some mocks have Arizona trading up for Ty Simpson - but that is going back from 22 to like 35

[electricgold]

Zak Zinter was once thought to be a great OG prospect and its no secret Harbaugh loved his play?
Trade possibility for Zak Zinter

Bleacher Report has floated a potential trade for Cleveland Browns guard Zak Zinter, who played four seasons under Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Cleveland's recent interior line additions and coaching changes could make Zinter available. Such a move would not only address Los Angeles’ need at guard but also reunite Harbaugh with a familiar and trusted player.

Maybe offer a 2027 6th round draft pick?

[Charge!]

This is my ideal scenario but like you said, takes a partner in a weak draft. Some mocks have Arizona trading up for Ty Simpson - but that is going back from 22 to like 35

there are a bunch of first round WR's, pass rushers, CB;s, and OT's..... only one true first round quality OG..... next best OG's should go in 2nd and 3rd round.....

reaching for picks is what got us in disaster that was before Hortiz..... we need to take BPA's.....

after signing draft picks and PS and having enough emergency money for season, we still have over 30 million to spend which means there will be nore additions after June 1 so we dont lose next years 3rd round comp pick....

[Boltjolt]

I'm not rationalizing shit. As a professional student of stats I know that *context* rules all, and frames numbers properly for understanding and prudent decision-making. I like 90% of your posts, your overall sensibilities and your style, Canadian, and have made that known to you. But your purported "real grade" here is just humorous noise, IMO.

What Cole did as a Patriot under a failed regime, in an ill-suited role— or in the first few games in Miami when he was brought onto the team, late September, with no benefit of spring training, camp, preseason....is irrelevant clutter.

I care about this: What can Cole do in a McDaniel offense when he actually knows it?

So you were interested in talking about Cole's pass blocking? Here it is, graded out, game by game. Notice anything?


ColePassBlocking.png

Wow that 11.8 pass blocking score is a doozy. 18, 27.....holy shit!
I do hope we draft a OG by round 3 at least. Just dont buy that MM doesnt think we need good OGs. Sure beats having shitty ones. You need some decent guys blocking for the QB and the RBs.

I just know we cant start the season with Penning starting at LG IF Strange is going to start at RG. Glad someone is paying the $25 a month to PFF so we can see other stats they somehow come up with lol

[Boltjolt]

Zak Zinter was once thought to be a great OG prospect and its no secret Harbaugh loved his play?
Trade possibility for Zak Zinter

Bleacher Report has floated a potential trade for Cleveland Browns guard Zak Zinter, who played four seasons under Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Cleveland's recent interior line additions and coaching changes could make Zinter available. Such a move would not only address Los Angeles’ need at guard but also reunite Harbaugh with a familiar and trusted player.

Maybe offer a 2027 6th round draft pick?

Zinter has been hurt often and not good when he has played. He was a 49 grade last season in the massive 46 snaps he took. Ive no idea about his agility as he couldnt run when recovering from his broken leg and havent seen him actually play in the NFL.

[dmac_bolt]

Wow that 11.8 pass blocking score is a doozy. 18, 27.....holy shit!
I do hope we draft a OG by round 3 at least. Just dont buy that MM doesnt think we need good OGs. Sure beats having shitty ones. You need some decent guys blocking for the QB and the RBs.

I just know we cant start the season with Penning starting at LG IF Strange is going to start at RG. Glad someone is paying the $25 a month to PFF so we can see other stats they somehow come up with lol

What OC wants a shit OL? cmon ... its absurd.

[Whydachargers?]

Is anyone else feeling depressed in regards to our o-line situation and number of picks we have in the 2026 draft?

In my opinion we need a another quality OT on this team. I mean NEED. With Alt and Slater coming off MAJOR injuries and surgery it would be wise to draft a high quality OT. OR can we realistically hope for someone to cut an expensive but good OT after the draft some time? How realistic is that? I say we need to draft a Blake Miller, Lomu or Proctor very high - 1st round - in this draft. I don't see these guys making it to pick #55? What do you guys think?

And the guards? Hell yes, we need those too. And we could certainly use a good young center from the draft as well.

With all that being said please tell me how we have any picks left for positions like Edge (I really like Derrick Moore's ability to play both pass rusher and limit outside runs), TE, CB, S, LB (I really like Kyle Louis but he's not getting past the 4th round for sure) or WR (an explosive guy like Deion Burks would work well under McDaniels it seems)?

I'm NOT feeling Super Bowl'ish about this team this season. And I'm not blaming Hortiz for it. It's just terrible luck with our tackles that is forcing us - IMO - to address OT in the 1st round of this draft.Guards were not ideal in free agency with many being injured or just way over-priced in Johnson's case. I'm glad I'm not the GM of this team. Or any team.

[Topcat]

Just for conversation what happened in the Tampa Bay game.

What happened was that Strange was matched up vs. Vita Vea...a pretty tough assignment:

image.png

Aside from that game, Strange was at least serviceable and at times above average the last half of the season.

[Bolt4Knob]

What OC wants a shit OL? cmon ... its absurd.

I was listening to the GAC guys podcast last night and they talked about the players Hortiz signed in free agency
Biadasz - they liked the tape overall. His PFF grade last year was 11 or 12 and Tyler said, I think if he ends up top 12 - no complaints
Ingold - no brainer, good full back, maybe not Kyle Juscyk in the passing game but much better than Matlock and won't be obvious they will run the ball like with Matlock and Fisk
Kolar - great tape, really good blocker
Mitchell - - good RB3, and returner. Will make the big player. But will also get stuffed dancing around trying to make the big player. Good chance of pace but Vidal is clearly RB2

And now Cole Strange - they tried to say maybe it was adapting to a new scheme, maybe he will get better, but not positive overall. Some good, some not good

And this is the comp pick game question - Hortiz signed Strange and in return missed out on a 6th round pick, maybe a 4th -- so it doesn't seem like Strange is like a difference maker as when I view it - I look at say Daniels + 2027 5th rounder or Cole Strange. Even the Paul guy from Commandos signed for 3m, Spencer Burford.... Hortiz signs one of those guys, get the extra pick

And I get its not all about comp picks but if you are going to do it - make damn well sure of the player is worth it. I hope Hortiz and McD are right on Strange. The others, good moves. Strange is still, well "strange and perplexing"

[Boltjolt]

Is anyone else feeling depressed in regards to our o-line situation and number of picks we have in the 2026 draft?

In my opinion we need a another quality OT on this team. I mean NEED. With Alt and Slater coming off MAJOR injuries and surgery it would be wise to draft a high quality OT. OR can we realistically hope for someone to cut an expensive but good OT after the draft some time? How realistic is that? I say we need to draft a Blake Miller, Lomu or Proctor very high - 1st round - in this draft. I don't see these guys making it to pick #55? What do you guys think?

And the guards? Hell yes, we need those too. And we could certainly use a good young center from the draft as well.

With all that being said please tell me how we have any picks left for positions like Edge (I really like Derrick Moore's ability to play both pass rusher and limit outside runs), TE, CB, S, LB (I really like Kyle Louis but he's not getting past the 4th round for sure) or WR (an explosive guy like Deion Burks would work well under McDaniels it seems)?

I'm NOT feeling Super Bowl'ish about this team this season. And I'm not blaming Hortiz for it. It's just terrible luck with our tackles that is forcing us - IMO - to address OT in the 1st round of this draft.Guards were not ideal in free agency with many being injured or just way over-priced in Johnson's case. I'm glad I'm not the GM of this team. Or any team.

We need one better OG and one OT better than Pipkins is all. I doubt they going to draft a OT high unless he can play both effectivily ....like Fano but he wont be there for us.
Not worried about it yet as we have plenty of time to go.

[Whydachargers?]

We need one better OG and one OT better than Pipkins is all. I doubt they going to draft a OT high unless he can play both effectivily ....like Fano but he wont be there for us.
Not worried about it yet as we have plenty of time to go.

Proctor would make sense.