CHARGERS UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / DAVE McKIBBEN : Beathard Says He Isn’t Interested in Trading Any Running Backs

General Manager Bobby Beathard said he will continue to ignore suggestions that he trade one of the Chargers’ running backs.

“I’m not interested in trading a back,” Beathard said. “The way these guys are being used, there’s not just one back at a time. Sometimes, there’s two and three backs in there at a time. That’s a strong point of our team and we don’t need to change that.”

Beathard denied radio reports that had him trading Eric Bieniemy for Pittsburgh linebacker Hardy Nickerson and holdout Joe Phillips for Pittsburgh receiver Louis Lipps. He said he had spoken with Pittsburgh about Phillips, but Beathard said Lipps’ name did not come up.

Beathard also said he has not spoken with any other team recently about a trade.

Coach Bobby Ross said the conditions of all the Chargers’ injured players have improved. The only two that are doubtful for the Sept. 6 season opener against Kansas City are guard Mike Zandofsky (ankle) and Shawn Jefferson (hamstring). Rookie cornerback Marquez Pope did not practice because of a virus.

The newest Charger, linebacker Kevin Murphy, practiced with for the first time. He was wearing jersey No. 58 and said he was happy to be in town.

“Marion Butts and some of the guys welcomed me when I got here,” he said. “It made me feel real good.”

Murphy was acquired this week from Tampa Bay for an eighth-round draft choice.

“I hadn’t gone up to them and asked to be traded,” he said. “It was just a contract problem, and that’s part of the game.”

For the first time in his life, rookie defensive end Chris Mims played an entire game. Ross said Mims was in on all 56 plays Thursday against the Rams.

“He got tired in the fourth quarter, but he held his position real well,” Ross said. “He played error-free football.”