The LA Chargers have officially wrapped up the preseason with a 26-19 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Not only was this the first win of the preseason for the Chargers but the team also scored its first touchdown of the entire preseason in the game.
Outcomes don't matter in the preseason as it is the individual lessons learned that do. Heading into Week 3 of the preseason, there were several Chargers players vying for spots limited spots on the roster.
While some players took advantage of the opportunity and shined, other players did not enjoy the same success and instead cemented themselves as cut candidates. It is worth noting, too, that these players were not already guaranteed cuts before Week 3. That list would be much, much longer.
3 Chargers who will be cut after preseason finale:
1. Isaiah Spiller
Isaiah Spiller carried the ball three times for one yard. That was the only thing he did in what will likely be his last game as a Charger.
The 2022 fourth-round pick needed a strong preseason to earn his place on the roster and he has not done that. The former Texas A&M Aggie has lacked explosiveness in training camp and has seen his chances in the preseason dwindle with every passing week.
Spiller didn't do anything new to cement himself as a roster cut for the Chargers because he technically did not do anything new at all. He was the same old Spiller, which is not good enough.
2. Thomas Harper
Thomas Harper was one of the biggest talking points for the Chargers after the team's preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams a week ago. That talk was short-lived, as Harper's chances of making the roster now seem miniscule.
Harper didn't do anything to decrease his chances, either, as he did not play after dealing with a lingering injury throughout the week. Instead, Harper is hurt by the fact that Tony Jefferson had the best game of any Chargers player during the entire preseason, possibly locking up his spot on the roster.
One week ago Harper was being penciled in as the fourth safety on the Chargers' depth chart. After Jefferson's great game and the buzz around JT Woods' position switch, Harper feels like a distant third.
3. Easton Stick
Saying Easton Stick will definitely be cut is a bit of a misnomer. In reality, Stick will likely survive the initial wave of roster cuts and be listed as the Chargers' QB2 on the depth chart after the team gets the roster down to 53 players.
However, the moment the Chargers can upgrade from Stick and pick up someone on the waiver wire the team should and likely will. Outside of one deep pass to Simi Fehoko, Stick once again struggled in this game and showed no signs of being a reliable backup quarterback.
The most likely outcome is the Chargers picking up whichever Cleveland Browns quarterback does not make the roster, either Tyler Huntley or Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but even if it is not one of them, there will be other options better than Stick.