For some teams, Tuesday represented the first day of OTAs. It’s a chance for new players to mesh with holdovers in order to form a relationship heading into the summer months.
This was the case with the San Diego Chargers and rookie first-round pick Melvin Gordon, who is expected to play a vital role in the team’s offense in 2015. Of course, Gordon was the center of attention as the team gathered for practice. One person whom Gordon stood out to in particular was quarterback Philip Rivers, who talked him up big time:
“He looks good,” Rivers said, via team’s official website. “As I said when we drafted him, there were a lot of Saturday nights sitting in the hotels on the road watching Wisconsin highlights and him run the ball. Now I get to see him up close. I saw a few clips from rookie minicamp, and you see spurts here and there of what you’ve seen on film and on Saturday evenings. He’s done a good job so far. He’s still learning, and there is a lot to learn, but he’s fit right in.”
Even though Rivers prefers not to compare playing styles, he did say that Gordon reminds him Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.
Realizing he made a great impression but still knowing that a humbling road lies ahead, Gordon shared these comments after completing his first day of OTA’s.
“I have a lot to learn still. It’s definitely a lot faster. The game’s moving a lot faster, and it’s definitely different from the rookie minicamp. Just with your reads, the calls; everything is a lot faster….(Rivers) told me how it was going to be. He said it was going to be fast, but he said it is just a process. You’ve just got to learn how to take in information and learn how to play fast. (It will slow down) just being out there more. That is just really what it is. Having more reps and taking more reps with those guys, it will start to piece together and you’ll start to understand.”
Gordon, who the Chargers traded up to acquire in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, should end up earning the starting gig in San Diego. Until then, he can take notes from veteran running backs Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown.
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