NFL Roundup : Dolphins Cut Moore and Nathan; McMahon Put on Injured Reserve

Nat Moore and Tony Nathan, offensive mainstays of the Miami Dolphins for a decade, and Tony Hill, a former star with the Dallas Cowboys, were cut Monday, while the Chicago Bears put Jim McMahon on the injured reserve list.

Hill, released by Dallas earlier this year and picked up by San Francisco, was among a group of veterans released by the 49ers. They also dropped linebackers Tom Cousineau and Jim Fahnhorst, and running back Carl Monroe, who scored a touchdown in the 1985 Super Bowl.

McMahon, who missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury and underwent surgery late last year, will have to miss at least six weeks.

That move at least temporarily kept a spot on the Bears’ roster for Doug Flutie, the 5-foot-9 Heisman Trophy winner. Mike Tomczak is expected to start in McMahon’s place, with rookie Jim Harbaugh backing him up.

Coach Mike Ditka said McMahon will help the Bears run their offense and work with the other quarterbacks.

Moore and Nathan were cut as Miami kept four quarterbacks--Dan Marino, Don Strock, Ron Jaworski and Jim Jensen, who also is special teams captain and a backup wide receiver. The Dolphins placed linebacker Hugh Green back on injured reserve, where he spent most of last season with a knee injury.

Moore, a 13-year veteran, is the Dolphins’ all-time leading receiver with 510 catches for 7,547 yards. Although he had 38 receptions for 431 yards and 7 touchdowns last year, he was beaten out by free agent Fred Banks for the fifth receiving job behind Mark Duper, Mark Clayton, James Pruitt and rookie Scott Schwedes.

The 30-year-old Nathan, an eight-year veteran, is fourth on the team’s all-time rushing list with 3,523 yards and second on the receiving list with 373 receptions.

The Washington Redskins cut veteran safeties Ken Coffey and Curtis Jordan, who started two Super Bowls. Washington also put linebacker Neal Olkewicz on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Rick Neuheisel, a quarterback from UCLA and the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League, and recently acquired wide receiver Bobby Johnson were among 10 players waived today by the San Diego Chargers.

Another former UCLA quarterback, Steve Bono, was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers also waived defensive end Daryl Sims, their No. 1 draft pick in 1985. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound Sims, expected to be a force when he was taken by the Steelers in the first round of the 1985 draft, never lived up to the team’s expectations. In two seasons of spot play, he had just 14 tackles, 4 assists and 2 sacks.

“He has strength and speed, but it didn’t show up on the field the way we thought it would,” Coach Chuck Noll said. “He doesn’t have the instinct.”

The Dallas Cowboys cut rookie quarterback Kevin Sweeney of Fresno State, a seventh-round draft pick who was impressive in training camp but lost out to veteran Paul McDonald for a backup job.

Sweeney, a former Cowboy ballboy, is the NCAA’s all-time leader in passing yardage.

The Cowboys also cut veteran kicker Rolf Benirschke, recently acquired from San Diego, Cleveland released running back Butch Woolfolk and Minnesota cut running back Ted Brown.

Tampa Bay released Don Shula’s son Mike, a quarterback, who was drafted in the 12th round this year after playing for Ray Perkins, now the Buccaneers’ coach, at Alabama.

The Bears released veteran defensive linemen Mike Hartenstine and Henry Waechter along with punter Maury Buford. Waechter trapped New England quarterback Steve Grogan for safety in the Super Bowl two years ago.

Green Bay cut backup quarterback Chuck Fusina, who led the Philadelphia-Baltimore Stars to two championships in the defunct United States Football League.

Buffalo cut veteran offensive tackle Ken Jones and linebacker Jim Haslett, a long-time starter out last year with a knee injury.