Observations from Day One of Chargers camp:
Melvin Gordon, seven months removed from microfracture knee surgery, took a high number of handoffs from Philip Rivers. He showed an even gait, and sustained good sprint speed for the whole practice.
But the bigger development came afterward, when coach Mike McCoy, while addressing reporters, defended Gordon's rookie season in an unusually spirited commentary. McCoy then briefed Gordon, who smiled and slapped him on the shoulder.
With top draftee Joey Bosa absent due to a contractual stalemate, NFL sophomore end Darius Philon worked next to nose tackle Brandon Mebane.