Miami Dolphins

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The Chargers signed a former Miami Dolphins player

The Miami Dolphins roster has been getting depleted since the start of NFL free agency, as years of spending big have led the Dolphins to a difficult salary cap situation. Chris Grier, the former Dolphins general manager, favored having a top-heavy roster with superstar players. However, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has stated that he prefers a draft-and-develop method.

As a result, the Dolphins have decided to use the 2026 offseason to improve their salary cap situation. Their first major moves were releasing All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb. Then, the team tried to come to terms on a new contract with a lower salary cap number with Alec Ingold and Jason Sanders, but after an agreement was not reached, the players were released. 

Now, a member of the 2025 Dolphins has departed the team via free agency, and he’s joining former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

Chargers Sign Former Miami Dolphins Guard

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Los Angeles Chargers had agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with former Miami Dolphins guard Cole Strange. 

Strange, a former New England Patriots first-round pick, signed with the Dolphins a day after the team’s Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Strange was signed after the Dolphins top-free agent addition James Daniels suffered an injury in Week 1 that placed him on injured reserve. Despite the expectation that Daniels would return, he did not play another snap during the season, and was released after the season.

Meanwhile, Strange spent the first few weeks as a backup before entering the team’s starting lineup in Week 4. He remained the team’s starting right guard for the rest of the season. Despite the $13 million contract, Strange was graded as a below-average guard by Pro Football Focus, as they ranked him 58th out of 81 qualified guards. He particularly struggled in pass protection as PFF ranked him as bottom-10 pass-blocking guard.

Miami Dolphins Offensive Line

Perhaps former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel disagrees with PFF’s assessment of Strange as it seems he valued him enough to bring him over to Los Angeles. He is not the first member of the Dolphins to join McDaniel, as fullback Alec Ingold also signed with the Chargers. Additionally, Butch Barry, who was Miami’s offensive line coach the past three seasons, is the new offensive line coach for the Chargers.

After losing Strange, the Dolphins have a need at the guard position. Their left guard, Jonah Savaiinaea, was graded as the worst guard in the NFL by PFF. With the Dolphins having minimal cap space, they may be forced to wait until the initial wave of free agency ends and hope to sign a player to a veteran minimum contract. 

The Dolphins do appear set at both tackle positions, as Jon-Eric Sullivan indicated that Austin Jackson would be retained and that Patrick Paul was a building block for the team. Additionally, center Aaron Brewer, who was selected as a second-team All-Pro, may be getting an extension with the Dolphins soon.

Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer

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