SAN DIEGO -- Each week he’s on the practice field, Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen looks closer to returning to his old self.
Even with a bulky brace to protect his surgically repaired right knee, the Cal product looked smooth and fluid running routes, making a couple of spectacular catches during organized team activities on Tuesday.
“I feel good,” Allen said.
It showed. Allen also had something to feel good about off the field, with his recent engagement to girlfriend Ciandra Monique Martin.
Allen popped the question over Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas poolside with several friends looking on, posting the video on Instagram. The couple has two daughters together, Kamari and Kaliyah.
“It was dope,” Allen said. “It was fun. … I wasn’t nervous at all. We were in a good place with everyone around -- our friends.”
Those friends didn’t include linebacker Denzel Perryman, however.
“I couldn’t find a babysitter,” joked Perryman.
Along with Allen, the Chargers had another important piece of their offense back healthy on the field in receiver Travis Benjamin. The Miami product had been limited during offseason work as he recovered from a PCL knee sprain.
However, Benjamin was full-go on Tuesday, running routes during team drills and taking reps as a punt returner during special-teams period.
“It was great,” Allen said about having Benjamin out there. “It felt like we had our three [Allen, Benjamin and Tyrell Williams] from last year out there today. It felt pretty good.”
With Mike Williams out, Geremy Davis shines: As I wrote about earlier, the Chargers announced Tuesday the team is holding out rookie receiver Mike Williams for the rest of offseason work due to a mild herniation in his lower back. Former Chargers team doctor David Chao writes that there’s reason for concern due to the injury.
With Williams unavailable, two young receivers who stood out included Jamaal Jones and Geremy Davis. I wrote about Jones earlier this week. And Davis made a couple of impressive catches during team drills on Tuesday.
The Chargers claimed Davis off waivers after the New York Giants released him in Week 10 of last season, and he remained on the team’s active roster. At 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds, Davis is a big-bodied receiver with speed and can make contested catches in a crowd.
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said players like Jones and Davis are taking advantage of the extra reps.
“Absolutely, as they should,” Lynn said. “They’re competitive, they’re competing. And like I said, they’re doing a good job.”
Cornerback Michael Davis fits the mold: At 6-2 and 195 pounds, Michael Davis, an undrafted rookie out of Brigham Young, fits the prototype of a long, rangy cornerback in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s Cover 3 scheme. Davis ran a 4.4-second, 40-yard time at his pro day.
With starting cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Casey Hayward still nursing injuries, Davis put his considerable skills on display with the starting unit, breaking up a couple of passes during team drills.
Trevor Williams and Trovon Reed worked with the starters at cornerback when the Chargers were in base defense. However, when the team went with five defensive backs, Williams kicked inside to slot defender and Davis took his spot on the perimeter.
“He was a really good pickup for us,” Lynn said about Davis. “We’ll see when we get the pads on and play real football. But right now, he’s really standing out.”
Injury update: Verrett (knee), Hayward (foot), defensive lineman Caraun Reid (knee), offensive lineman Donovan Clark (knee) and cornerback Craig Mager (unspecified) were held out of practice on Tuesday. Tight end Antonio Gates and defensive end Melvin Ingram were not in attendance.