The LA Chargers are entering a new era with a new regime calling the shots but the effects of the previous front office are still being felt. Tom Telesco was not the best at building out deep rosters, oftentimes because the team would miss on so many picks in the NFL Draft.

Most of these misses were simply a result in the Chargers drafting the wrong prospects. However, some of the misses boiled down to a failed opportunity. Whether it be because of the coaching staff or because the leash was too short, there are several recent Chargers draft picks that could’ve been so much more than they were.

Guys like Kyzir White and Drue Tranquill left in free agency to pursue better opportunities than they had in LA. As egregious as those examples are, there are other recent draft picks where the Chargers seemingly gave up on the player for absolutely no reason.

Chargers gave up too soon on Joe Reed

The Chargers double-dipped at wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft, first taking Joe Reed in the fifth round. Reed was an exciting selection as in addition to his special teams ability, he really looked like he could be a gadget-play receiver that added a new wrinkle to the offense.

Reed was essentially Derius Davis long before Davis was ever drafted by the Chargers. The former Virginia receiver was not the same athletically as Davis, but if used properly, Reed could have had a similar impact on special teams and on offense as Davis has had thus far.

The problem is it never really worked out for Reed. He was not the instant contributor on special teams that the Chargers were hoping for and having a different offensive coordinator his sophomore year did not help. Sprinkle in an injury that sidelined him and Reed never really got a sustained chance to prove his worth.

Ultimately, the Chargers cut Reed before the end of his rookie contract and it is a shame. There is a world in which Reed stays healthy, doesn’t undergo coaching changes, and becomes a quality depth part of the rotation.

Chargers gave up on Isaiah Spiller too soon

Isaiah Spiller is still on the roster (for now) so the Chargers have time to right this ship. But if the Chargers are going to right the ship and not give up on Spiller, it is going to take the new regime buying in on a player that they did not draft.

As fans know from seeing regime changes across the league, a player drafted by a previous front office has an uphill battle to climb. That player has an even steeper uphill battle to climb when the previous regime that drafted him also did not seem to believe in him.

This is the problem that Isaiah Spiller is facing, and it is mainly because the previous Chargers’ regime did not give him a chance to prove his value. Even though the season was completely lost last year, the Chargers still did not give Spiller any chance to boost a stagnant rushing offense.

Had Spiller actually been given a chance to play at the end of last year’s regular season then he would have built in a stronger case to Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz to be a part of this running back committee. But with very limited NFL tape thanks to the previous front office not believing in him, Spiller is a candidate to be cut before the 2024 season.

The previous Chargers regime gave up on him too soon and the current Chargers regime may not have a chance to ever believe in him.