If Chargers Have Edge, So Far It’s Ragged

Based on performance in Sunday’s practice, the Chargers will not score this season.

Take the defense off the field, and based on Sunday’s practice, the Chargers will not score this season.

Quarterback Bob Gagliano took the snap from center, backed up and fell on his rump.

Quarterback Jeff Graham took aim and threw the ball in the general direction of Miramar. When the ball finally landed, there was no receiver nearby. To demonstrate it was no fluke, he repeated the same throw later.

Tight end Deems May broke loose over the middle and there wasn’t a defender anywhere near him. Quarterback Pat O’Hara spotted May, and on one of his better throws of the afternoon, he came within a good 10 yards of completing the pass.

Shawn Jefferson dropped a ball, Anthony Miller dropped a ball and Donald Frank dropped an interception opportunity. O’Hara ran out of bounds to the left to keep from getting sacked, and then he ran out of bounds to the right to avoid being mugged.

Coach Bobby Ross, meanwhile, was busy blowing his whistle and telling his players to return to the huddle because they had failed to line up properly.

“(Practice) was spotty as hell; it was,” Coach Bobby Ross said. “It wasn’t all horrible. There were some good things. There were some bad things, too. I’m not going to panic; I mean, we’ve got a long ways to go. It’s not going to look pretty every day.”

Speaking of ugly . . . The Chargers’ offensive line spent the entire afternoon in full retreat. After seven practices you would think these guys could block somebody. How bad was it? By day’s end Ross was praising nose tackle Mitchell Benson for his pass rushing. Mitchell Benson.

“With our passing, one day it’s good and the next it is not,” Ross said. “It’s kind of inconsistent. That’s kind of to be expected. It’s not a negative thing.

“Today offensively, I thought the defense won. The competitiveness, the intensity and the effort is all there. That’s all very good. Just got to get some sharpness. I thought on defense Mitchell Benson stood out.”

Mitchell Benson .

During the middle of Sunday’s workout, Benson and rookie center Curtis Whitley began fighting. After Whitley landed a convincing punch to Benson’s facemask, Benson removed his helmet and began swinging it at Whitley.

Defensive end Chris Mims, the team’s No. 1 draft pick, put a mighty rush on the passer in practice, but before he could get to the quarterback he met 5-foot-7 running back Eric Bieniemy.

Mims, who is 6-5 and 272 pounds, has been criticized for lacking NFL-like strength. That probably explains why Bieniemy was able to slam Mims to the ground like a rag doll. “He just threw me to the ground,” Mims said. “Not much I can say.”

Charger Notes

The Chargers still have 13 unsigned players, and General Manager Bobby Beathard said he does not expect to have agreements from everyone by Wednesday’s reporting date for veterans. Beathard said he has made contract proposals to all the unsigned players with the exception of starting guard David Richards. He said based on past experience Richards has signed for the same amount of money awarded to tackle Broderick Thompson, and Thompson has yet to sign his contract. . . . The Chargers and Leigh Steinberg, the agent for quarterback John Friesz, have not spoken since Steinberg made his pitch a few days ago for a one-year contract. “I don’t know what to say at this stage,” Beathard said.