Chargers : Team to Look at Receiver Hancock

With their roster sitting conveniently at 59 players, the Chargers are doing a daily scan of the waiver wire to see if there’s anyone good out there.

Wide receiver Anthony Hancock, who certainly was good in college, caught their eye. Hancock, a former No. 1 draft pick from Tennessee, was waived Monday by Kansas City, but he could be the deep threat the Chargers need.

Wednesday, Coach Al Saunders said he was bringing Hancock in for a tryout today, and since teams are currently allowed to keep 60 players, Hancock might be signed right away.

First, Hancock must prove he can run on his right knee and catch. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and missed the final 12 weeks of the ’86 season. Over the summer, the Chiefs signed two free-agent receivers--Darrell Colbert and Chaz Fox--and also drafted receiver Kitrick Taylor of Washington State in the fifth round.

Those three joined Stephone Paige, Carlos Carson and Henry Marshall, and Hancock suddenly wasn’t so valuable.

“I still think I’m one of the best receivers in football,” Hancock said the day he was waived.

In his five-year career, Hancock has started only eight games, so he shouldn’t be figured as a potential starter. But Saunders coached at Tennessee in 1982, the season after Hancock left, and is well aware that Hancock used to be a world-class sprinter.

“Anthony and Wille Gault (of the Bears) played together at Tennessee, and it was felt that Anthony was really the better of the two,” Saunders said. “But, for whatever reason, he never really developed into the guy everyone expected in Kansas City. We’ll just bring him in and take a look.”

Hancock, if signed, would be one of five Charger wide receivers. Wes Chandler, Bobby Johnson, Timmie Ware and Jamie Holland are the others, and only Chandler has a starting job locked up. Ware will start Friday night against the New York Jets, but he, Johnson and Holland are considered relatively equal right now.

Saunders has said he might keep only three wide receivers, so Friday’s game will have an impact on who stays and who goes.

Steve Feldman, the agent for unsigned linebacker Thomas Benson, said Wednesday he has made a new contract proposal to the Chargers.

Feldman said he spent three hours Wednesday with Steve Ortmayer, Charger director of football operations, and he expected to hear a definitive answer from Ortmayer today.

“The lines of communication are still open,” Feldman said. “I didn’t think it would do anyone any good to sit waiting by the phone. So I called (Ortmayer). I’d say our chat was better today. We agreed on a few more things, which is an advancement. Prior, we agreed on nothing.”

Ortmayer was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Outside linebacker Chip Banks badly wants to play in Friday night’s game, but has been told he won’t. His left Achilles’ tendon is still sore, and the Chargers want to rest him until the season opener, Sept. 13, in Kansas City.

Saunders said Banks could be bothered all season by the injury.

“Possibly, and that’s why total rest was something we wanted Chip to do,” he said. “It’s much, much better than it has been.”

Saunders said tight end Kellen Winslow (infected knee), quarterback Mark Herrmann (sore shoulder) and tight end Rod Bernstine (hamstring) also will miss Friday’s game. Everyone else on the roster will play, including running back/flanker Gary Anderson, who has been bothered by a sore ankle.

Saunders also said he will leave his starters in for at least a half and might even let them play one series in the third quarter.