Gagliano, Graham Get Ready for Duty : Chargers: Friesz confident he will play against Raiders, but team prepares its backup quarterbacks.

John Friesz strolled into the Chargers’ locker room Wednesday, his sore left ankle taped but carrying his weight with no discernible limp.

Though Friesz didn’t practice, he expects to take some snaps by Friday and spoke confidently of playing Sunday against the Raiders.

But backup Bob Gagliano expects to carry the weight of the offense this week, and even emergency quarterback Jeff Graham figures in the picture.

Gagliano is practicing with the first unit, preparing to start or see extensive backup play. Graham, who has barely taken a snap except with scout teams, alternated with Gagliano in practice Wednesday.

But they might end up watching Friesz, as usual.

Coach Dan Henning said Graham probably will be activated as a precaution. “John would have to make a miraculous recovery and put in a full practice for us to change that,” he said.

For now that seems to put Gagliano, a five-year veteran, in the game plan. “I’m excited,” said Gagliano, who started nine games for Detroit last year. “You try to stay within yourself and not get carried away. I’ll get a few more reps (in practice) and that’ll be good for me.”

Gagliano, who played the second half Sunday against the Jets after Friesz was hurt, said, “The last game, I think I was rusty, but I saw everything pretty well. There’s been some criticism of me not taking enough shots (passing), but looking at film, they had us covered pretty well and there wasn’t a lot to choose from.”

Gagliano has a lot of lost time to make up, going back to summer camp and the exhibition season, when Friesz and Billy Joe Tolliver were vying for the No. 1 job and Gagliano remained in a familiar position--in the background.

That profile, Gagliano said, “is part of the deal. This is the situation. I enjoy it, I welcome the challenge. I’ll just take it day-to-day and see how John feels.

“You have to (prepare as though starting). The only difficult part is, during training camp is generally when you get used to the system but with Billy Joe being here they got the majority of reps. That was probably a setback. Around midseason I started to feel more comfortable.”

Gagliano said it’s a situation he has accepted.

“I found in the past I got focused on being a backup,” he said. “Then I got a taste of starting, I said, ‘Man, this is the only way to go.’ It was tough to go back to backup but either way, either role, you have to try to prepare.

And who is Jeff Graham?

He’s a rangy, red-headed veteran of the World League of American Football signed as a free agent this summer. He has spent the season with the Charger scout team, able to be activated instantly if no other quarterback is available.

Graham, a 6-foot-5 graduate of Cal State Long Beach, where he set school passing record, was taken in the fourth round of the 1989 draft by Washington. He spent the 1989 season on the Redskins’ developmental squad, then was cut. He had a similar role with Cleveland last year before he quarterbacked the New York/New Jersey Knights of the WLAF, passing for 2,407 yards.

“I’m not really nervous, it’s more anticipation of the game, I’m kind of excited. I want to make sure I have a good week of practice and get everything down I need for the game,” Graham said.

Injuries have the Charger defensive backfield out of whack as well. Cornerback Gill Byrd, who has a sprain in the Achilles area above the right ankle, is listed as questionable but says he’ll play, In fact, he might play safety if Anthony Shelton is unavailable. Shelton has a shoulder injury that probably will require surgery.

If and where they play also depends on rookie Stanley Richard’s pinched shoulder nerve. Shelton was replaced in practice Wednesday by special teams standout Darren Carrington.

“I’ve been hurt before and I told you I was gonna play and I played,” Byrd said. “C’mon, I’m gonna play.”

Shelton said, “I don’t think I can go any longer. I can run and do everything physically, it’s just hitting, which a safety has to do all the time. I took a couple licks against the Jets--I played but that wasn’t really me. I’m still waiting (to hear), whatever they want to do--injured reserve or surgery.”

Richard said, “I feel a lot better than I did last week,” and Henning characterized him as “showing a little spunk” in practice. But the team’s No. 1 draft pick indicated he will be cautious. “It comes down to what I’m able to deal with, how I feel the day of the game. I’ll avoid much contact till then.”

In the Chargers’ only official roster move this week, offensive lineman Harry Swayne was placed on injured reserve with a broken leg.