Blanchard Cut Despite Rival’s Poor Performance

Kicker Cary Blanchard felt he took an unkind cut Sunday, the day NFL teams had to pare their rosters to 53 players.

Blanchard was let go by the New Orleans Saints despite making all of his tries inside the 50-yard line during the preseason. The kicker the Saints kept, Chip Lohmiller, had missed a 27-yarder, a 50-yarder and an extra point during the exhibition season.

“I didn’t do anything to lose the job,” said Blanchard, who was in the Saints camp in 1992 and kicked for the New York Jets in 1992-93.

“I’m upset. I wish I could come in and miss four field goals inside the 50 and still make the team.”

One of the biggest names cut Sunday was Marion Butts, who rushed for 1,225 yards with San Diego in 1990. The six-year veteran running back, among seven players cut by the San Francisco 49ers, struggled during the preseason, gaining only 28 yards on 13 carries.

Also cut by San Francisco was defensive end Burt Grossman, who had hoped to make a mark as a pass rusher, but saw limited duty in exhibition games.

“It was a surprise,” Grossman said of his pink slip. “But I wasn’t put into many nickel situations, so you have to wonder.”

The Kansas City Chiefs released fullback James Saxon and placed safety Ronnie Lott on the injured reserve list.

Lott, a 10-time Pro Bowler in his 15th year, was signed as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason but fractured a fibula in a preseason game. By being placed on injured reserve, Lott can’t play for the Chiefs this year. When he recovers, he can be waived and could sign with another team, the club said.

Signed as an unrestricted free agent, Saxon was with the Chiefs his first four years in the league and spent the last three years with Miami. He caught 27 passes for the Dolphins last year.

Final cuts for the Dallas Cowboys included four-year veteran Bucky Richardson, a former Oiler who had hoped to make the roster as a backup fullback and a special-teams player.

The Washington Redskins’ leading receivers in the preseason, Tyrone Rush and Olanda Truitt, were among those waived by the Redskins.

The New England Patriots cut veteran defensive ends Mike Pitts and Jon Hand and one-time starting offensive guard Doug Skene.

Local players cut

The New York Jets took the biggest bite out of local college talent waiving defensive tackle Chad Eaton from Washington State and Alan Allen (wide receiver) and Sherriden May (fullback), both from Idaho.

Ron Childs, a rookie linebacker from Washington State, was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Spikes free on bail

Irving Spikes of the Miami Dolphins was freed on $5,000 bond in Miami after being arrested for allegedly beating his wife.

Dolphins coach Don Shula placed the reserve running back on seasonlong probation after meeting with him twice. Shula said Spikes would be at practice today and would be eligible to play in next weekend’s season opener.

“While I realize that Irving is entitled to his day in court to determine the validity of these charges, right now there is no question that it’s been an embarrassment to our football team, and as a result I am placing him on probation for conduct detrimental to the football team,” an angry Shula said at a training camp news conference.

Spikes, 24, spent the night in the Broward County Jail on battery charges after police picked him up Saturday night at his home in Pembroke Pines, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale.

Spikes, who appeared in Broward County court, agreed to enter a domestic violence counseling program, said his agent, Drew Rosehaus.

Ross getting better

Coach Bobby Ross, who underwent abdominal surgery Thursday night, expects to return to the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday.

“I’m feeling better; I’m doing better,” he said, speaking to reporters for the first time since entering the hospital. “I’m walking now and getting around pretty good. I’ve just got some pain in my side.

Ross missed his team’s 17-9 win Friday over the St. Louis Rams in the final exhibition game for both teams. The 58-year-old coach said he expects to be on the sidelines Sept. 3 when the Chargers open their season at Oakland.

Watters finds challenge in Philly

Running back Ricky Watters was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles to be the main man in the backfield. He still may be, but the play of Charlie Garner is presenting first-year Eagles coach Ray Rhodes with a nice problem. In four exhibition games, Garner had 272 yards rushing on 49 carries to Watters’ 150 yards on 41 carries.

“It really does change my mind with what I’m going to do with them,” Rhodes said. “Both guys are going to get a lot of playing time. During the course of the season, you’ll see both of them in the game at the same time a lot. They both can make plays, and I will put the guys that can make plays in the game and not have them standing on the sideline. I’m not stupid.”

Harris on the way back

In what is perceived as the first step toward returning to football, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Tim Harris has been undergoing voluntary therapy for alcohol abuse, sources close to Harris said.

Harris, who last week was suspended six games by the NFL for violating its alcohol and drug abuse policy, is so intent on staying clean during the suspension and returning to the 49ers, sources said, he has been getting therapy at an undisclosed location for approximately three weeks.

Harris is expected to complete a recovery program in advance of the Sept. 3 game with New Orleans, sources said.