SAN DIEGO -- Philip Rivers wasted no time putting new receiver Travis Benjamin through the rigors of offseason work for the San Diego Chargers.
And so far, the 34-year-old quarterback has been in rhythm with his new deep threat through the couple of weeks of work at Chargers Park, never out-throwing the speedy Benjamin.
“It’s been great from Day 1,” Benjamin said. “Philip is the type of quarterback where he knows I’m a fast guy, so he tells me to just run and he’ll put it there. So you couldn’t ask for anything else from a quarterback than those throws from him.”
The budding chemistry between Rivers and Benjamin included a chance meeting at a local restaurant.
“It’s pretty cool,” Benjamin said. “We joke and kid around in the locker room. Actually one Saturday morning, we stayed beside each other so I saw him at a Chick-Fil-A and we kind of chatted one morning. So everything’s going well so far.”
Benjamin has yet to meet the entire Rivers family, which includes wife Tiffany and the couple’s eight children.
“I haven’t, but I’ve heard he’s got a bunch of them,” Benjamin said, smiling
On Monday, the Chargers went through some light work during team drills, which included a couple of Rivers-to-Benjamin connections. The Chargers were not going full speed, but Rivers was on the field directing traffic like usual.
“He’s everything I thought he was,” Benjamin said. “He throws a tremendous ball. And his leadership and ability to basically control the whole team, as a receiver and as a player you couldn’t ask for anything else.”
Benjamin, who signed as a free agent after four years with the Browns, replaces Malcom Floyd as San Diego’s vertical threat in the passing game for the upcoming season. At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Benjamin is much different in stature to the 6-5, 225-pound Floyd.
However, they both were effective in beating defenses down the field in the passing game. Benjamin has 10 career touchdown receptions, averaging 14.2 yards per catch over four seasons.
Floyd finished his 11-year career averaging 18.7 yards per catch, totaling 34 career touchdown receptions.
“He’s so smooth, so he’s very easy to feel with his body movement,” Rivers said of Benjamin in an interview with The Mighty 1090 AM radio. “But at the same time, I found out very quickly that he’s faster than anybody I’ve ever thrown a football to.
“Early on it was like, ‘OK, he’s there and I’ve got plenty of time -- oh wait, I don’t.’ It looks like you don’t have to throw it as far, but then you better get it out there because he’s going to run past it. So that’s the kind of thing that you start to figure out this time of year.
“He can absolutely fly. And he catches it well. Yet, to be that fast sometimes you wonder how guys can turn right or left into a cut. And he can do that at full speed, and it’s very impressive. I was already excited, and I’m even more excited after these first couple weeks.”
Fellow receiver Stevie Johnson said Benjamin has fit in nicely with the rest of the receivers group.
“He’s a playmaker and a game-changer,” Johnson said. “I know he’s got the heart, being where he came from. That kind of grind I can relate to. So I know he can make a difference.
“You know he can go. We know what he can bring to the table. And hopefully it helps us out this season.”