Chargers sign the wrong receiver to replace Jalen Guyton

The LA Chargers needed to add help at receiver with Jalen Guyton missing the rest of the season with a torn ACL. While the Bolts had options to explore in free agency, the team instead went with an internal option to replace Guyton.

After placing Joey Bosa and Rashawn Slater on the IR, the team signed Jason Moore and Richard Rodgers to the active roster. Replacing Moore's spot on the practice squad is former Eagles receiver John Hightower, who the team just signed.

Considering what the Bolts lost with Guyton getting hurt and what this receiving corps lacked, it seems like the team made the wrong decision in which receiver they signed to the active roster. Moore should not have been the guy that got elevated to the active roster.

Instead, the Chargers should have signed Joe Reed to replace Jalen Guyton.

The Chargers had three options in Moore, Reed and Michael Bandy and perhaps chose the worst one. Bandy was the biggest standout from the preseason but he is limited to only playing in the slot, so it is at least understandable as to why they would choose Moore over him.

That being said, the player that should have gotten the rub is Reed. The Chargers just lost their no. 1 speed option in Guyton and replaced him with yet another slow receiver in Moore. While nobody was going to be a direct replacement, there was a lot more potential with Reed getting a chance.

Reed has nothing but untapped potential that the coaching staff has not bought into. Maybe it is because he was drafted under the previous regime but when Reed actually got to touch the ball in 2020 he would make magic happen.

Let's not forget that Reed did not drop a single pass over 20 yards during his time at Virginia. If there was ever an example of a deep-threat replacement it is Reed. He is not lightning quick by any means, but he does have more burst and agility than Moore has.

Better yet: Reed is pretty good with the football in his hands. Whether he be lined up in the backfield or out at receiver, Reed is a nice weapon for gadget plays, which we know Joe Lombardi loves to run. At the very least, Reed would bring a fresh dynamic to this offense, which it so desperately needs.

MUST-READ: Has Brandon Staley lost the Chargers locker room?

Instead, Moore is just another body that does not add much more than replaceable depth. Unless Reed is dealing with another injury, it is just hard to see what the Bolts don't see in him to at least give him a chance in a receiver room that is struggling to create separation as is.