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LA Chargers: Candidates for WR3 after Andre Patton’s release

By Alexander Insdorf

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 6: K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs with the ball against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 6: K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs with the ball against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) – LA Chargers
(Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) – LA Chargers /

After the somewhat surprising cut of Andre Patton, the third receiver role on the LA Chargers is officially up for grabs.

Andre Patton’s release on Saturday was somewhat surprising given how much he played last year. Patton played 13 games in the 2019 season after key injuries to Dontrelle Inman, Travis Benjamin, and Geremy Davis.

In a way, his release probably shouldn’t be surprising given that he only played due to those injuries, but the LA Chargers usually err on the side of caution though when it comes to guys who have NFL experience.

The third receiver job is absolutely for the taking now. Joe Reed may have the lead early due to the nature of his draft selection, but others will also try their best to get lined up next to Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Joe Reed

Reed has a pretty solid chance of getting the job at this point. No current player on the roster has significant NFL playing experience like Patton did. The LA Chargers clearly value him over K.J. Hill, selecting him a whole two rounds earlier.

2019 changed the outlook of Reed from being mostly a special teams player. In his first three seasons at Virginia, Reed had 52 receptions. In his last season alone, Reed had 77 receptions. That was the most of any Virginia player during the season.

Another reason that Reed could lock up the third receiver job soon is how dynamic he is as a receiver. Hill, for example, is mostly a slot guy who can run intermediate routes. That’s valuable, but it’s not quite as valuable as Reed being able to do that in conjunction with being able to take a defense over the top.

Having great speed and body control also helps out Reed a lot.

Bryce Perkins in one of the most underrated QB's in the country, in my opinion. Get used to seeing these bombs to Joe Reed this season. Reed caught 8 balls for 217 yards and 5 touchdowns in Virginia's final three regular season games. Should have a huge 2019. #UVA #ACC pic.twitter.com/6JE6kjQJ5Q

— Ryan Clifford (@RyanClifford) August 11, 2019

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