PRO FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Knee Injury Puts Caravello Out for Year

Starting H-back Joe Caravello, who figures prominently in the Chargers’ rushing attack, injured a knee in practice Thursday and will be out the rest of the season.

“It was a dislocated kneecap, there is some cartilage damage, but they are not exactly sure what right now,” Coach Dan Henning said. “They are going to have to do some repairs. That’s at least six weeks after an operation, at least, before he can return.”

Caravello injured his other knee in Week 12 last season, underwent surgery and did not return to action. He rejoined the team in training camp this year, and had been excelling as a run blocker.

“You ask the defensive linemen from the Jets and Raiders and they would tell you that (Caravello was the key blocker in the running game),” Henning said.

“I’m really disappointed,” Ed White, tight ends coach, said. “He’s a hard guy to replace. He’s a 265-pound H-back and that’s like having another guard in there.”

The Chargers will shuffle tight ends Derrick Walker, Arthur Cox and Craig McEwen to fill the gap left by Caravello.

“The two guys that are the most adjustable are Joe and Derrick, and yet Derrick has been in there starting for Arthur,” Henning said. “If you put Arthur in there for Joe you’re moving a rookie who has been doing well. You’d rather just plug somebody else in there.”

Henning said the team might add linebacker Billy Ray Smith and offensive tackle Joel Patten to the 47-man roster for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

“I think we’ll get something out of Billy Ray this weekend,” Henning said. “My gut feeling is we’ll activate him.”

Henning, however, said there remains a disagreement between the team’s medical staff and Smith. The medical staff would like Smith to rest his injured abdominal muscles another week, but Smith wants to play.

“I’m somewhere in the middle,” Henning said. “He’s doing everything: running, moving, thinking, but until he has to take somebody on where he’s really got to use that muscle group, we really won’t know.”

Patten, the team’s starting left tackle last season, missed training camp because of a knee injury.

“I think we’re ready to do something with him,” Henning said. “He’s in the same category as Billy Ray.”

Safety Vencie Glenn (hamstring) and cornerback Gill Byrd (groin) were able to practice, but safety Martin Bayless (ankle) was not.

“It’s sore, but I’m not counting myself out of the game,” Bayless said after putting aside his crutches for the first time.

Henning said quarterback Mark Vlasic has been afforded no additional practice time this week, but he has been receiving more reps than most backups all season long.

“Usually it’s 22 plays for Billy Joe and 10 for Mark,” Henning said. “Most people give their starting quarterbacks a great deal more work than that. But because I feel strongly about both of these guys, I want to make sure they know I’m backing them. We give our backup more work in practice than most people do.”