A Job Is Within His Grasp : Chargers: Early reviews favor wide receiver Kitrick Taylor’s chances of hanging on the roster.

With final roster cuts three weeks away, Kitrick Taylor figured Saturday night’s exhibition opener was the logical time to begin his annual campaign for a job.

The past two years in Atlanta and New England, Taylor’s campaign ended just days before the season--he was the final player released by both teams.

But this training camp with the Chargers, Taylor is trying to leave nothing to chance. He already was looking good in the polls, but his popularity appears to be increasing after his eye-opening performance Saturday night against Houston.

Taylor, a fourth-year wide receiver from Washington State, only played the third quarter, but he made the most it.

He practically owned the Chargers’ 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive--catching passes of 11, 21 and nine yards from John Friesz. He almost capped it off with a touchdown, but the replay official ruled Taylor had trapped his five-yard scoring catch.

In the third quarter, Taylor made catches he was supposed to make and some he wasn’t supposed to make. The highlight was the 21-yarder for which he sprawled out on the left sideline.

“That’s what I wanted to do,” said Taylor, who turned 27 two weeks ago. “Fortunately, I took advantage of my opportunity.”

Taylor’s play impressed General Manager Bobby Beathard and offensive coordinator Ted Tollner.

“Kitrick had a good game and he made one very good catch,” Beathard said.

Said Tollner: “He set out and did what was asked of him. And he got open and made some big plays.”

Ever since the Chargers acquired Taylor on waivers Dec. 12, they expected Taylor to make the routine plays. Beathard said Taylor has lived up to expectations.

“Last year, he did a terrific job without ever making a mental error,” Beathard said. “He’s a very focused kid, and he can do a lot of things well.”

Beathard also likes Taylor’s ability to return punts--he returned one 55 yards for a touchdown last year against Kansas City in his second game as a Charger. But it may take more than versatility and steadiness for Taylor to earn a job.

He is contending with second-year man Walter Wilson, free agent Troy Kyles and fourth-round pick Yancey Thigpen for two wide receiver spots.

Anthony Miller and Nate Lewis have a lock on the other two spots.

Tollner said Taylor is making a gallant pitch for the remaining jobs.

“He’s very much in the picture,” Tollner said. “He’s one of our more consistent day in and day out receivers. He can play all of the spots we ask him to play.”

If Taylor’s strength is his consistency, his liability is his speed.

“Kitrick is not a blazer and that can hurt,” Tollner said.

So where does Taylor fit in?

“He could be anywhere from the second to the fifth receiver if we keep that many,” Tollner said. “Kitrick has done everything he can do up to his point. He’s putting the pressure on other people right now.”

It sounds nice, but Taylor has heard it all before.

Two years ago in Atlanta, Taylor led the Falcons in receptions during the exhibition season only to be cut in favor of George Thomas, a second-year player who caught one pass in exhibition games.

“The fans loved me, I thought the coaches loved me,” Taylor said.

Taylor was picked up by New England midway through the 1989 season, only to be let go the last day of training camp after he broke his thumb.

But he still believes he wouldn’t have endured any hardship had he stayed with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that drafted him fifth out of Washington State in 1987.

Taylor, who led Pac-10 receivers in touchdown catches as a senior, spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a groin pull. But he played in all 16 games the following year, catching nine passes and returning 29 punts for a 6.4-yard average.

But when the Chiefs left Taylor unprotected in Plan B free agency, he signed with the Falcons.

“Kansas City had a bunch of All-Pro receivers, and I thought would never play there,” Taylor said. “I thought the grass was greener in Atlanta.”

Not only wasn’t it green, there wasn’t any.

“It was tough being cut from Atlanta, because ever since kindergarten I had never been kicked off anything,” he said. “It really brought me down. I was having fun in K.C. I believe my life wouldn’t have been as tough if I would have stayed there. But I set that road ahead. I have to walk it.

“You live and you learn. I think it’s made me a stronger person. “

Will he be strong enough to withstand being released a third consecutive year on the final cut?

“It’s hard even talking about it,” Taylor said.

But when the day comes to give up football, Taylor said he will be prepared. He has a degree in social welfare that he plans to use.

“You have to realize there is a life after football,” he said.

But Taylor acknowledges he’s not ready to think about that life just yet. He can’t help but think about Aug. 26, the day rosters are reduced to 47 players.

“There’s a lot of stress on the mind,” he said. “You don’t know what the coaches are thinking. You lay up every night thinking of it. But if you do the right things and you play hard, you don’t have any regrets.”