2 Holdouts End; Banks Wavering?

The agent for Pro Bowl linebacker Chip Banks said Wednesday he expects Banks to play for the Chargers this season.

Two other holdouts ended when running back Curtis Adams agreed to terms and defensive end Lee Williams signed a contract.

That leaves Banks and defensive lineman Joe Phillips as the team’s remaining holdouts.

Banks and the Chargers had agreed to a five-year contract, but Banks then refused to come to camp unless the team committed to pay him a $300,000 reporting bonus in 1990. Responding to a Charger ultimatum last week, Banks said Friday he was prepared to sit out the season.

But Harold Daniels, Banks’ agent, was asked Wednesday if he expected Banks to report. He replied: “I do. Chip’s a football player.”

Daniels did not say when that might happen.

Steve Ortmayer, the Charger director of football operations, said he spoke with Daniels Wednesday and was told that Banks wanted to re-open negotiations.

“He (Daniels) told me that they would talk further,” Ortmayer said. “We’ve never said we wouldn’t talk to them.”

Charger owner Alex Spanos has said he will not trade Banks and that the team’s five-year, $4.8 million offer was withdrawn last Thursday at midnight when Banks failed to show.

Now, it appears Banks might be giving in some.

“He’s willing to talk,” said Daniels, who added that there were not any meetings scheduled. “I’m going to talk to Chip and see what he wants to do.”

Adams, the Chargers’ leading rusher last season, is expected to practice today. Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

Adams gained 343 yards rushing last season on 90 carries and scored 1 touchdown.

Over the past few weeks, Charger officials have implied that it would be important for Adams to report to camp soon to increase his chances for playing time this season.

“He’s been lucky in a way,” Coach Al Saunders said. “All the guys he will be competing with for a job (Kevin Scott, Barry Redden and Gary Anderson), have been hurt at one time or another.

“Had that not been the case, he might have had some difficulty making the team.”

Saunders said he would wait to see Adams in practice the rest of this week before deciding whether he would play in Saturday night’s exhibition against San Francisco.

“I think he just finally decided it was time to be in here,” Ortmayer said. “He figured if he wanted to compete the way he expects to, he’d have to get in here.”

Williams, as expected, ended his four-week holdout by signing and reporting to camp.

Terms were not disclosed, but it was reported that Williams agreed to a five-year deal. Williams has led the Chargers in sacks in each of the past three seasons.

Williams said he held out because he wanted a contract that would put him in the neighborhood of some the NFL’s top defensive ends.

“I didn’t want to sell myself short,” Williams said. “I know my worth, and I got exactly what I wanted.”

Williams, who said he stayed in shape running in at home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., suited up Wednesday afternoon and ran wind sprints.

Saunders said Williams will play against the 49ers.

“I could go in and give it a shot,” Williams said. “How effective I am would probably be up to the coaches.”