Butler Has Stats, But Not Bear’s Job

Kevin Butler, the Chicago Bears’ last link to their 1985 Super Bowl season and career points leader, was cut as the team decided to go with younger and less-expensive rookie Carlos Huerta.

“It was really close. We had to look at it and say, ‘Is Carlos a guy we believe can do it?’ And the decision was yes,” said Chicago Coach Dave Wannstedt. The Bears have only eight players left who played under Mike Ditka. Butler, an 11-year veteran, has scored 1,116 points, fifth best among active players.

During the preseason, Butler didn’t miss on three field goal attempts. Huerta, who kicked a 27-yarder through the rain against the Kansas City Chiefs in the final exhibition Thursday night, was three for four in exhibitions.

Money may have been a consideration. Butler was scheduled to make a base salary of $500,000 this season and Huerta, 27, the league minimum of $130,000.

Wannstedt said the salaries played no part in the decision, but then admitted the money saved would allow the team to sign another player or extend a contract.

“I really believe Carlos gives us a chance to be better,” said Wannstedt. “The easy thing to do is just say, ‘Well, we’ll be OK.’ Sometimes to get ahead you don’t make the easy decision. . . . We all know what a great job Kevin has done for the Bears.”

Butler hit his first 16 field goals last season, but missed eight of his final 15.

“The second half last season was a struggle for Kevin, for us and for our team. He did everything we asked in the offseason to put himself in position to bounce back,” Wannstedt said. “Kevin can [still] kick in this league.”

Huerta set 12 University of Miami records after making the team as a walk-on. He kicked the last two seasons in the Canadian Football League, making 57 of 72 field goals for the Baltimore Stallions last season.

“I’m here to show they’ve made a good decision. To be perfectly blunt, if they had kept Kevin Butler, it might have been a good decision, also. He’s an excellent placekicker,” said Huerta.

“I wasn’t sure. I knew it was close, I was just kind of holding my breath. I felt pretty good, pretty relaxed either way.”

Butler, who left Halas Hall early Friday morning after meeting with Wannstedt, was not available for comment. But earlier in the week he offered this assessment:

“Basically it boils down to two choices they can make. They can pick the kicker that kicks it longer, stronger, higher, faster and with more accuracy, or else they can pick Carlos.”

During training camp, Wannstedt said it was Butler’s job to lose. So did he lose it, even though he was more accurate than Huerta in the exhibition season?

“Yeah, I guess he did,” Wannstedt said.

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Chicago running back Rashaan Salaam has a sprained right knee and a pulled hamstring and his status will be evaluated daily, Wannstedt said.

Salaam underwent an MRI on Friday. He was injured on a pass play in the first quarter against Kansas City. He had fumbled early in the game to stop a Bear drive.

“We’ll see where he is in the middle of next week,” Wannstedt said. “There is some swelling. It’s an unfortunate thing. He only got four carries. On a pass play, he got hit and twisted.”

Salaam, who rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie last season, refused comment.

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Looking for additional help with the pass rush, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Pro Bowl defensive end Clyde Simmons, who was cut by the Arizona Cardinals earlier this week.

“It gives me an opportunity for a fresh start,” Simmons said. “They want me to make plays and that’s what I came to do.”

To make room on the roster, the Jaguars waived defensive tackle Corey Mayfield.

Simmons, a ninth-round pick out of Western Carolina, played his first eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Cardinals two years ago. He has 93.5 career sacks.

For Arizona, Simmons had 11 sacks last year, tied for the fifth in the NFC. The Jaguars as a team had a league-low 17 sacks. Left end Joel Smeenge led the Jaguars with four.

“I want us to have a time where, when people think of Jacksonville, they’re going to think defense,” Simmons said.

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The Dallas Cowboys bolstered their defense with another former Green Bay player, signing safety George Teague to a one-year contract.

The Cowboys hope Teague can strengthen a secondary weakened by injuries. Dallas previously added middle linebacker Fred Strickland, who started for the Packers last season.

The Atlanta Falcons traded for Teague in the offseason, but released him during training camp.

The Cowboys have two healthy safeties, two-time Pro Bowl player Darren Woodson and Brock Marion, who tied for the team lead with six interceptions last season. But behind Woodson and Marion, Dallas has little depth.

Free-agent Charlie Williams tore a knee ligament during offseason drills. Roger Harper, acquired from Atlanta the day before April’s draft, broke his arm in the first scrimmage. Harper won’t be able to play for about a month.

Teague was the Packers’ first-round draft pick in 1993. He was a starter last three seasons and made 11 tackles against the Cowboys in the NFC championship game last season. He racked up 72 tackles, 13 pass deflections and two interceptions in 15 starts last year.

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Hugh Millen, the free-agent quarterback the New Orleans Saints signed this spring to provide experience at backup, was cut to make room for defensive end Darren Mickell.

Millen failed to beat out Tommy Hodson, last year’s No. 2 quarterback, or Doug Nussmeier, a No. 4 draft pick in 1994 who has never taken a snap in a regular-season game.

“The case against me is that I haven’t made a play for the Saints,” Millen said Thursday. “The case for me is what I’ve done as a starter in the past.”

Millen signed a two-year, $900,000 contract with the Saints in April. His $100,000 signing bonus will count against the Saints’ salary cap.