PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : NFC : No Butts About It, 49ers Cut Former Charger Star

Running back Marion Butts and veteran defensive end Burt Grossman were among seven players cut by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday as NFL teams trimmed their rosters to the 53-man limit.

Butts, 29, a six-year veteran who rushed for 1,225 yards with San Diego in 1990, had a poor exhibition season with the 49ers, gaining only 28 yards in 13 carries.

Grossman, 28, had hoped to make a mark as a pass rusher but saw limited duty in the exhibition season and was chastised for lack of intensity.

Other 49er cuts included veteran linebacker Darin Jordan, rookie linebacker Antonio Armstrong, fourth-year guard Theo Adams and sixth-year tight end Tim Jorden.

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The St. Louis Rams cut quarterback Tommy Maddox, but are leaving a roster spot empty in hopes of re-signing him to a long-term deal with a base salary lower than his current $600,000.

The Rams also cut veteran defensive back Anthony Newman, who lost his starting free safety job to Keith Lyle in the exhibition season. Newman was reportedly cut because of salary cap considerations.

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New Orleans kicker Cary Blanchard was cut in favor of Chip Lohmiller and was angry about it.

Blanchard was let go by the Saints despite making all four of his tries inside the 50-yard line during the exhibition season. Lohmiller had missed a 27-yarder, a 50-yarder and an extra point, but kept the job because of his experience.

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Wide receiver Nate Lewis, running back Lincoln Coleman and defensive end Dunstan Anderson were among the players cut by the Atlanta Falcons. . . . The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut third-string quarterback Todd Philcox. . . . Dallas owner Jerry Jones said third-year outside linebacker Darrin Smith had reached an impasse in contract negotiations with the club and won’t play in the team’s opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 4. . . . Final cuts for the Cowboys included four-year veteran Bucky Richardson.