CHARGER UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Beathard Denies Report Team Has Contacted Hurricane Coach

The rumors begin.

A Washington Post dispatch suggested Wednesday that the Chargers have been in contact with University of Miami Coach Dennis Erickson about replacing Dan Henning next season.

The story said several sources have indicated that NFL teams have been in contact with Erickson, who is 23-3 at Miami. The story said one of those teams “reportedly is the Chargers.”

The Post quoted Erickson, who was asked if he had been in contact with NFL teams, as saying: “I would say not really. I’ve got some friends in the NFL that I’ve visited with. Some day you’ve got to take a look at (the NFL). It’s the best. So of course the NFL interests me.”

Post reporter Mike Freeman said Wednesday night that he heard about the Chargers’ contact with Erickson and his information was confirmed by someone at the University of Miami. Freeman said, “The Chargers have definitely talked to him.”

General Manager Bobby Beathard, however, said he has not only not talked to Erickson, but he said he has given no thought to talking to Erickson.

“My word of honor: It has never even entered my mind,” Beathard said. “I’ve never even thought about that.”

Beathard said no one in the Charger organization has been in contact with Erickson about replacing Henning next season.

“Last year when we were looking for a defensive line coach we talked to Miami’s Bob Karmelowicz,” Beathard said. “I haven’t talked to Dennis Erickson since they came out here for that San Diego State game last year.”

The NFL trading deadline is Oct. 8, and although there has been speculation in Washington that the Redskins will be willing to trade quarterback Stan Humphries, Beathard said there have been no recent discussions regarding Humphries.

“I don’t think we’ll do anything,” Beathard said. “I don’t think there’s a chance of that.”

The Chargers did not list anyone on their injury list Wednesday, but Henning said the status of wide receiver Anthony Miller “is the same as last week; maybe a little bit better.”

Last week, Miller was listed on the team’s injury report as questionable with a hamstring injury, and later was upgraded to probable by mistake. He was unable to make a significant contribution against the Broncos.

“He practices some, then he gets a twinge and we have to take him out,” Henning said. “It could go on like that all year; those things don’t heal.”

The Chargers probably will bring wide receiver Kitrick Taylor off injured reserve this week and use him to return punts and back up wide receivers Nate Lewis and Shawn Jefferson.

The Chargers will have to release a player or place a player on injured reserve to make room for Taylor. Since there are no players on the team’s injury report, it would appear there are no likely candidates for IR.

Wrong, said Henning. “We have a bunch of IR candidates. They’re a bump away. . . . Really Billy Ray Smith should have been on IR a long time ago (with a sore knee). Gary Plummer should be on IR (with a sore neck).

“Miller would be a legitimate candidate for IR. If you were stacked at wide receiver that’s probably what you would do with him. You can’t afford to do that, so you practice him a little bit, try and get him rested and play him in the game.”

Tight end Derrick Walker, who didn’t have the problem with catching the ball last season, has suddenly had difficulty hanging onto it this year.

“I think he’s got good hands; he’s dropped some and now all of a sudden he has bad hands,” Henning said. “I don’t believe that.

“We’ll keep throwing it to him if he can get open. If he continues to drop them we’ll put somebody else in there to catch it.”