Cole

Strange

Rashawn Slater (groin) and Cole Strange (pectoral) were removed from the injury report on Friday. The end result of these moves will likely be Trevor Penning starting at guard. Nobody ever said life was easy for Justin Herbert.

Chargers RG Cole Strange (pec) also upgraded to full participation today. Chargers G/T Trey Pipkins (knee) and LG Kayode Awosika (fibula) remained sidelined. Slate and Strange’s improvements are encouraging, but this unit is still in rough shape. Hopefully, everyone can remain setback-free.

Slater popped up on the injury report with a groin issue, getting in a limited practice Wednesday. Multiple other members of the Chargers’ offensive line were also in the injury report, with G Cole Strange (pec) getting in a limited practice and G/T Trey Pipkins (knee) and G Kayode Awosika (fibula) not practicing. There is no indication yet that Slater will miss time but the Chargers offensive line is already banged up early in the season.

Strange is a former first-round pick of the Patriots, but fell out of New England after three seasons. He joined the Dolphins for 2025 and started 14 games on the interior offensive line, allowing two sacks and committing one penalty. The 27-year-old now reunites with former Dolphins head coach and Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel on a two-year pact. The Chargers offensive line needs more help but Strange will provide depth with a shot at starting at guard in 2026.

Strange will join the Miami interior competition in the absence of James Daniels, though it’s possible he just winds up as a pure backup. There’s got to be someone out there with a #RevengeGame narrative for Strange playing against the Patriots — who drafted him in the first round in 2022 — in Week 2, but we’d be surprised if he got many snaps.

Strange picked a great landing spot after getting released yesterday, as the Browns have almost zero starting linemen with guaranteed contracts for 2026. Corley will look to develop his skills and could perhaps challenge for an end-of-roster spot later in the season. The Browns also added QB Bailey Zappe, TE Brendan Bates, TE Sal Cannella, WR Kaden Davis, S Christopher Edmonds, DT Ralph Holley, CB LaMareon James, DT Sam Kamara, RB Ahmani Marshall, DE Julian Okwara and RB Trayveon Williams to their practice squad.

This comes just four months after the Patriots declined Strange’s fifth-year option. Strange lost most of the 2024 season due to a torn patellar tendon, limiting him to just two starts. He will now be subject to waivers should any team feel frisky enough to gamble on his underwhelming profile.

He had signed a one-year deal with the Patriots this offseason. The veteran guard played for the Falcons, Commanders, and Jets over his eight years in the league after being selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He started 29 games for the Falcons in his first two seasons, but was mostly a versatile fill-in player afterwards. PFF graded his 2020 season with the Commanders, where he started 13 games, as his best year as a starter. The Patriots will likely turn to Cole Strange at guard this season.

The move, or lack thereof, doesn’t come as a surprise. Strange was a stunning first-round selection by Bill Belichick in 2022, with Sean McVay saying he thought the Rams would have a shot at landing Strange with the 104th pick. Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon late in the 2023 season that cost him most of 2024. A left guard by trade, Strange made two starts at center last year. A replacement-level player at best, Strange enters his contract year in need of a breakout season.

Strange, one of the last wacky Bill Belichick first-round picks in 2022, looks like he’ll get a four-game audition with the remainder of the Patriots offensive line down the stretch. The guard has missed most of the season after leaving with what was reportedly a torn PCL in Week 15 of the 2023 season. Almost a full calendar year later, he’ll aim to make his return.