PRO FOOTBALL REPORT : WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Henning Snares Former Redskin Orr

Charger Coach Dan Henning reached out to his Washington connection again Friday in an attempt to compensate for the loss of H-back Joe Caravello with a season-ending knee injury.

Terry Orr, who was released by the Redskins recently after 4 1/2 seasons with them, became the third tight end or H-back to sign with the Chargers since Henning came to San Diego last year after two seasons of directing the Redskins’ passing game.

Caravello was the first to rejoin Henning, spending the entire 1989 season with the Chargers and playing regularly until sidelined by a knee injury in the 12th game. When Caravello was hurt, Craig McEwen came in and started the last three games.

McEwen is still here, but won’t start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Henning said Friday that Arthur Cox and Derrick Walker would divide Caravello’s duties.

Henning also moved reserve outside linebacker Steve Hendrickson to H-back and said he and Orr would fill in Sunday if needed.

“I’d say Terry will be able to step in before Hendrickson,” Henning said. “Terry is like halfway between McEwen and Walker. He’s probably not as good a blocker as Walker, but he’s a very good receiver.”

Henning also announced, as expected, that linebacker Billy Ray Smith and offensive tackle Joel Patten would both be activated from injured reserve for Sunday’s game. Smith has missed five games with a strained stomach muscle, and Patten has been out all season after undergoing knee surgery in the off-season.

Orr, 29, who is 6-3 and weighs 227, was the 10th-round draft choice of the Redskins in 1985. He started only six games and caught 20 passes, with a high of 11 in 1988.

Hendrickson, 24, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, was signed by the Chargers after Smith was hurt. He has played primarily on special teams.

While Hendrickson, 6-0 and 245, will still be available for backup chores as a linebacker, his number has been changed from 56 to 34.

“They gave me a running back’s number just in case,” Hendrickson said. “This is exciting. It’s like old times. I was a fullback in high school and a backup fullback with the 49ers for about four weeks. I took the playbook home last night and studied it until 12:30 or 1, so I have a pretty good grasp of what the formations are.”

Henning said he didn’t expect Smith and Patten to play much Sunday, adding that he was going to be especially careful with Smith.

Henning addressed the Chargers’ quarterback situation when he fielded questions at luncheon of the Charger Backers.

One interrogator, dissatisfied with the play of Billy Joe Tolliver, asked, “What is it about Mark Vlasic that you don’t like?”

Henning replied, “I like Mark Vlasic, and I like Billy Joe Tolliver. In the game at Dallas, Mark was not any more accurate than Billy Joe has been the last two weeks. Mark has averaged 4.2 yards per pass, Billy Joe has averaged 6.7.

“If we switch the two guys back and forth, we’ll go nowhere. Mark has the intelligence and temperament so that he won’t allow his professionalism to be affected by not playing. But they’re both on notice, and Billy Joe knows that.”