49ers Still in Pursuit of Phillips

The San Francisco 49ers re-signed defensive end Charles Haley on Wednesday and intensified their pursuit of Lawrence Phillips, a top-flight free-agent running back with a troubled past.

“We’re working toward signing Lawrence,” said General Manager Bill Walsh, adding that director of football operations John McVay was in the midst of talks with Phillips’ agent, Mitch Frankel.

“We’ve had hours of conversation, negotiations and exchanges,” Walsh added. “We’re hopeful, but it’s certainly not completed. My personal feeling is that Lawrence wants to play here.”

Walsh said the 49ers hope to have some kind of resolution in the next 48 hours.

San Francisco, which has lost running back Garrison Hearst indefinitely because of complications in his recovery from a broken left ankle, is vying with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers for the services of Phillips.

Phillips lost jobs with the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins because of legal and disciplinary problems, but drew renewed interest from NFL teams after a sterling and trouble-free campaign in NFL Europe.

Haley, 35, one of the league’s premier pass rushers and the only player to win five Super Bowl rings, was signed to a four-year contract worth $5.6 million, including a $1.2-million signing bonus.

Meanwhile, Hearst will have surgery on his ailing left ankle Saturday and will sit out most, if not all, of the 1999 season.

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Erik Kramer, stunned by his dismissal from the Chicago Bears, was scheduled to take a physical for the San Diego Chargers.

The Chargers want to sign either Kramer or Neil O’Donnell by the start of training camp Friday to add to their mix of Jim Harbaugh, deposed starter Ryan Leaf and Craig Whelihan.

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Quarterback Mark Rypien said he has no plans to try to catch on with an NFL team during training camps, but he is not closing the door on the idea.

Rypien, 36, sat out last season after his 3-year-old son died of cancer, and his wife was also diagnosed with cancer.

“My heart and mind are not there,” Rypien, a former Washington State player, said from his home in Spokane, Wash.

Rypien has not ruled out joining the Chargers, Seattle Seahawks or Washington Redskins once the season starts.

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Linebacker Al Wilson, the Denver Broncos’ first-round draft choice, reached agreement on a multiyear contract with the team.