PRO FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Broncos Pick Up Mills Off Waiver Wire

The Chargers lost their second selection of this year’s draft on Friday when the Denver Broncos claimed linebacker Jeff Mills off the waiver wire.

In a move designed to avoid using one of their two remaining free roster moves, the Chargers on Thursday waived Mills with the intention of activating him for the final two games if he wasn’t claimed.

Mills, a third-round selection from Nebraska and the draft’s 57th overall pick, has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury since Oct. 27. In November, he was the subject of disciplinary action when the Chargers suspended him for a week for missing a practice and team meetings. He also was sidetracked in training camp when he was questioned by the FBI for information about a possible insurance scam involving his agent.

“It seemed to be one distraction after another in his life,” Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard said. “Maybe this will be a great change for him. Things just didn’t seem to go right for him here. I think we saw a lot of talent in his potential to be an awfully good player but we think he’s got to get all these other things straightened out.”

Mills was selected with a pick the Chargers acquired from Tampa Bay in the Gary Anderson trade. After the draft, Beathard said Mills was a better college player than Broderick Thomas, a linebacker who played for Nebraska the previous year and was chosen by Tampa Bay as the sixth overall pick of the 1989 draft.

Still, Beathard stuck by Thursday’s roster move.

“I’m not second-guessing our decision,” Beathard said. “We’d do the same if we had to again. We just figured we’d take a shot. If we got him through, fine. But we figured it was a good chance that we might lose him. The only thing I’m disappointed in is that we didn’t really see what we had in Jeff Mills.”

Round II of this season’s bout between Kansas City linebacker Derrick Thomas and Charger tight end Arthur Cox will be played out Sunday when the Chiefs visit San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Thomas was ejected from a game last season for kicking Cox, and Cox kicked back at a Chief player in the Nov. 18 meeting this season.

Playing against Thomas motivates Cox.

“Of course,” he said. “A guy who kicks you in the face shows you no respect.”

Watching Cox and Thomas go at each other can sometimes be more entertaining than anything the rest of the offense has to offer. “It gets pretty intense,” Cox said.

Anyway, Cox thinks Thomas might have kicked him last year out of frustration.

“Probably so,” he said smiling. “I hope he’s not mad at me.”

Running back Marion Butts, who has been nursing a foot sprain all week, would like to play Sunday, but Charger Coach Dan Henning probably won’t let him. “At this point, we’re pretty sure that we’re not going to play Butts,” Henning said.

Henning said there is even a possibility Butts, the NFL’s leading rusher, will be put on injured reserve if the Chargers activate tight end Rod Bernstine off injured reserve to share ball carrying duties with running back Ronnie Harmon.

Nose tackle Les Miller (back) is also a candidate for injured reserve. He underwent further tests Friday and Henning said his status would be determined by the results. If Miller doesn’t play, the Chargers will use defensive end George Hinkle in his place.

Receiver Nate Lewis, still recovering from a wrist injury, will probably start on Sunday, Henning said.

The Chargers announced their team awards at Friday’s “Charger Backers” luncheon. As chosen by the players, Butts was MVP, cornerback Gill Byrd was most inspirational, defensive end Lee Williams was the most valuable lineman and kicker John Carney was the special teams MVP.

Does quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver have big plans for Christmas day? “Nope,” he said. “Just play with my kid’s toys.”