Chargers’ Free-Agent Additions, Including 'Overpay,' Get Hot and Cold Reactions

Time flies when you’re addressing your football team in free agency and preparing for the upcoming NFL draft. League executives, coaches, scouts, etc., are really earning their money this time of the year.

Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus, who really specializes grading offensive line performances for the service, gave his thoughts on his favorite moves this offseason by the Bolts. His favorite and least-favorite transactions by Los Angeles Chargers’ general manager Joe Hortiz involved the men in the trenches, and it started with the positive in the form of signing an experienced pivot.

Chargers may have found a solid solution at center

January 27, 2026; El Segundo, California, USA; Los Angeles general manager Joe Hortiz attends introductory press conference for offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“The Chargers might have slightly overpaid for (Tyler) Biadasz,” explained Buday, “locking him up before the start of free agency. However, considering the state of the team's interior offensive line over the past couple of seasons, overpaying for an above-average player is more than justified. Biadasz ranked 12th among centers with a 70.7 PFF overall grade in 2025, although he is also coming off a serious injury.”

Then there’s the other side of the story. Buday wasn’t exactly enamored with the addition of former New England Patriots’ and Miami Dolphins’ interior blocker Cole Strange. The latter spent 2025 in South Florida with ‘Fins head coach Mike McDaniel, now the offensive coordinator of the Chargers.

NFL analyst not impressed with “strange” addition by Chargers

Sep 14, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins guard Cole Strange (69) looks on before a game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“The overpay for Biadasz is understandable,” stated Buday. “This one is not. Strange, a former first-round pick, has earned PFF overall grades below 60.0 in three of his four NFL seasons and ranked just 57th among 79 qualifying guards in PFF overall grade (54.9) in 2025. Los Angeles made him the 19th-highest-paid left guard in the NFL this offseason. It is unlikely that he will be the solution for the Chargers’ struggles on the interior.”

For those not familiar with Buday’s work, one of his assignment is grading the offensive line play around the league. This past season, only the units of the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns graded out lower than the Bolts.

The reasons were many, led by major injuries to left tackle Rashawn Slater (who missed all of 2025), and bookend Joe Alt (who would up playing 6 games at left tackle).

A healthy return by each of those tackles would certainly help. Meanwhile, there will be a new interior with the retirement of center Bradley Bozeman, the release of right guard Mekhi Becton, and the departure of left guard Zion Johnson—who signed with the Browns. Hence the additions of Biadasz and Strange. And who knows who Hortiz could target with the 22nd overall pick on April 23, or beyond.