PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : NFC : 49ers Add Butts and Sign Stubblefield

Marion Butts, a bruising runner in six seasons with the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers, has joined the crowd in the San Francisco 49er backfield.

Butts, a free agent, agreed to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $178,000, plus incentives that could increase his compensation to $1 million.

Butts’ role with the team is unclear. Coach George Seifert has indicated he could be used as a backup to fullback William Floyd, although there could be instances in which the two are on the field at the same time.

Last season at New England, Butts gained 703 yards on 243 carries. During his first five seasons in San Diego, he was the featured runner in a one-back offense and twice earned Pro Bowl honors.

Also Tuesday, 49er defensive end Dana Stubblefield agreed to a three-year, $6.75-million contract that includes a $2-million signing bonus.

Stubblefield, a Pro Bowl selection last season in his second year in the NFL, was expected to report to training camp in Rocklin on Tuesday night, officially ending a 20-day holdout.

Stubblefield’s 1995 base salary will be $200,000. In 1996 and 1997, he will receive $1.525 million plus a $750,000 bonus each year if he is on the team roster as of March 1.

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Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leon Lett has accepted a contract extension worth about $14 million that commits him to the Dallas Cowboys for the next five seasons.

The Dallas Morning News reported in today’s editions that a formal announcement is being withheld pending interpretations from the NFL on issues pertaining to the structure of the contract. That will determine how much Lett’s 1995 salary counts against the $37.1-million salary cap.

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The merry-go-round of NFL kickers made another stop Tuesday. Chip Lohmiller was pushed off, and Eddie Murray hopped on.

Lohmiller, an eight-veteran and former Pro Bowl selection, was waived by the Washington Redskins, who got concerned when his erratic form of the past two seasons surfaced again in training camp.

“I had as much patience as I could,” Redskin Coach Norv Turner said. “After Saturday [when Lohmiller missed an extra point and a 29-yard field goal at Kansas City], I just thought it was time to go in a different direction.”

Murray, another former Pro Bowl kicker, two weeks ago found himself on the sidelines when the Philadelphia Eagles released him in favor of Gary Anderson.

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St. Louis Ram quarterback Chris Miller was irritated to learn from a television sportscaster that he was about to retire because of his recurring head injuries.

A St. Louis station, citing unidentified Rams players, reported Monday night that Miller, who sustained his fourth concussion in two years Saturday night in Seattle, was ready to quit.

“Kind of a shame when someone takes the liberty, when someone just comes along and says on a live telecast without talking to the main source, they’re going to say that I’m thinking of retiring, that’s nonsense,” Miller said. “That’s not even a factor at all right now.”

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New Orleans Saint Coach Jim Mora downplayed an investigation into a woman’s complaint that she was sexually assaulted by a number of players in the team’s dorm.

“I know what happened, so I’m not concerned,” Mora said. “I’m not happy, but I’m not concerned.”

A Minnesota woman told police she was assaulted early Sunday morning in the dormitory at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

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The Atlanta Falcons reached agreement on a four-year contract with safety Devin Bush, the team’s top draft pick from Florida State. Falcon defensive tackle Moe Gardner will sit two or three weeks because of torn cartilage in his right knee. . . . New York Giant quarterback Dave Brown may be sidelined for about two weeks with a moderate bruise of his right elbow.