Chargers Training Camp Notes: Wiz cuts Benjamin loose

We're switching it up for today's Training Camp notes because fellow BFTB writer Matthew Stanley attended today's Training Camp session as well. I'll give some quick notes of what I observed today and Stanley will give you his take in a seperate post. As far as injuries to note, Denzel Perryman and Javontee Herndon did not practice and neither did Antonio Gates or Brandon Flowers who got a rest day.

Travis Benjamin for most of camp has been in and out of the starting line-up but today was far and away his best day of practice as a Charger, helped in part by the Chargers Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. We'll get to Wiz play designs in a moment but Benjamin made some real good catches downfield today. He did have a TD a few days ago in 11-on-11s, scored one in 1-on-1s yesterday but other than that he wasn't getting open much. Today he redeemed himself and seemed to be a focal point of Ken Whisenhunt because he tried to get him the ball in a few unique ways. The first seems like an easy 10 yards on Benjamin's worst day. Wiz sends Benjamin off of Orbit Motion to Keenan Allen's side, Rivers hits Benjamin on the swing pass. Allen blocks Verrett and Benjamin doesn't get touched by a defender until he's 10 yards downfield probably gained 20-25 yards on the play. The second is my favorite of the day. Wiz ran 5 wide with an empty backfield with Allen, Gates on one side and Benjamin, Inman and Woodhead on the other. Rivers motions Benjamin in the backfield, he then sold the quick out and turned up for a wheel route that would've been 6. Ken Whisenhunt had Travis Benjamin going today and he thrived on it today in practice. One more from Wiz and we'll get back to it. In Red Zone drills, the Offense ran trips bunch, 3 WRs faked the screen, DBs bought it, and it left Manti Te'o on Hunter Henry 1-on-1, probably the easiest TD of the day. Money. It's good to have Coach Whisenhunt back.

Watching Joshua Perry in college I was never left impressed with his coverage skills but he has really looked good when asked to cover guys. He hasn't given up any easy catches and has also got his hands on a few footballs, one of which ended up being and interception by Adrian Phillips in Day 1 of camp. So far so good for the 4th Round pick

Both Kyle Emanuel and Darius Philon turned it up today, especially in run support. Emanuel secured the edge and met Melvin Gordon in the backfield and Philon shot a gap and got a tackle for a loss as well. Both guys had would-be sacks today and Philon also tipped a pass at the line for an incompletion. The first team couldn't get much going in the run game, the D-Line as a whole played good.

Casey Hayward was another standout on Defense. Hayward played most of the day in the slot with Brandon Flowers out. He made two great plays on the ball for incompletions. One was against Tyrell Williams on the outside and another he dove for and got a hand on it, popped the ball up in the air and was almost intercepted. Speaking of interceptions UDFA Safety Adrian McDonald got and INT today, you could feel it coming because he is always around the ball.

Ryan Carrethers beat the Center of the 3s, Spencer Pulley multiple times today. Some things regarding the depth chart have worked themselves out through camp, having Ryan Carrethers the third string nose tackle is not one of them. If we're taking all favoritism off the table and we're going on straight performance on the practice field, Ryan Carrethers is the Chargers second best nose tackle.

Those are the quick highlights of practice today from me, Matthew Stanley's post will be coming soon.