Bruce released

[Nick]

We know this to be a fact or is it all speculation? Did Saunders come out and say he didnt make a push for him? Production,production,production, they will regret it if they dont bring him back.

Reported by Bernie soon after the news broke: "Let me put it this way: Al Saunders and Billy Devaney didn't exactly step up and make the case that they had to have Isaac for 2008."

RW put up a couple more Bernie quotes about Saunders here on page six of this thread.

[Mooselini]

If what Nick says comes true (sign Stallworth and a good rookie) I'll be happy. We're looking out for the future, not just 08.

We shouldn't get upset until Bruce Signs with another team. Who knows, maybe Bulger, Holt, and Pace, some of these veteran guys who have been around Bruce for years will agree to have their contracts reconstructed to keep Bruce.

The man has given everything he's got to us, yet we disrespect him. I'm praying that we do resign Bruce...even if its until he retires...it's worth it. He's a good leader. And he can mentor some of the new talent coming to the squad.

[Nick]

For what it's worth, the Whiners are already after Bruce...

--The ***** are not in the running to sign OLB Calvin Pace or WR Bernard Berrian (or Briggs), but they are going after WR Isaac Bruce, whom the Rams released on Thursday. Pace and Berrian are probably getting big deals elsewhere. If Bruce's asking price is right, I'd expect him to sign with the ***** to reunite with Mike Martz.

This is from Matt Maiocco's blog at The Press Democrat.

[RealRam]

Can't wait to read what The Reverend Ike himself has to say... :\


:r His SB XXXIV TD will be a Ram milestone and an everlasting work of art.

[Mooselini]

Damn...its amazing how fast San Fran wants him. We better do something by tomorrow...very sad day. I havent gone to bed this upset since I found out I was leaving Japan to move back here.

[Jonze]

Crap! Not a good move by the FO in my humble opinion. #80, you will be missed. It's gonna break my heart if he's suiting up for the whiners next year. Here's to hoping he will be back in a couple of days like last time. Not very optimistic though:-(

[ramsbruce]

Maybe they would have but were never asked. Maybe they were asked but said no. As you said, we may never know. Is it fair to ask other guys to take a paycut so that Bruce can get all of his money? Maybe not, but I can't help but wonder if guys like Holt, Pace, or Bulger would actually say no to it.

If the Rams didn't ask some guys if they were willing, shame on the Rams. If none of those guys would do it then shame on those guys. Again though and don't get me wrong I understand where you are coming from with the 2 mil, but ultimately my stance is the Rams should have just paid Bruce this year and not even asked him to restructure. Restructuring once was enough. I'm guessing Bruce felt the same way.

Well, we're not stacked at WR now. But if the Rams go out and sign someone like Donte Stallworth and then draft a rookie WR in the first 2-3 rounds of the draft, it's conceivable that both of them could cost $5 million against the cap this year, and we'll have bettered our youth and speed at the position for the same price.

That's very possible, although Stallworth's hamstring problems worry me. I know he made it through last year but he wasn't playing much towards the end. I don't even want to hear about Dev Henderson, but anyways it's a good point. Will the Rams actually use this 2 mil (now 5 mil) wisely is the real question. I'm very worried that we will waste it when we could have just kept Bruce. I don't like the risk.

The problem I think many fans have is that we all still think Bruce can play at a high level. And maybe he can. But maybe, when Al Saunders looks at his offense and what he needs from his players, Bruce just doesn't fit as well as we'd like him to. Let's not forget this is a guy who was using speedsters like Moss and Randle El in Washington. This is a team that needs to stretch the field; Bruce isn't going to do that, though he'll run some damn good routes.

So keeping that in mind, you have to ask yourself how much you pay for a guy that might not be a great fit for what you want to do. The Rams apparently were willing to pay $3 million. Bruce wanted the whole $5.

I watched him play at a high level last year even with all of our offensive problems, so in my mind there is no maybe about it. If Al thinks differently all I can do is disagree and hope he is right. rammiser made a good point about Saunders and his WRs in KC, they weren't exactly speedsters. We have to get a speed guy no matter if Bruce is here or not. So I have a hard time believing that the Rams can't get creative and find 2 mil. Or that our plans are so big that it's like we HAVE TO HAVE this 2 mil at any cost. I'm just not seeing it with what's out there.

I don't like the move either, but the best thing we can do is wish Isaac luck, hope they're still trying to work something out, and try to move on with our own future thoughts on improving the team.

After all, none of us want to end up a jaded old man like mokler, now do we?

I still have hope they are trying to work something out, although I'm less optimistic now. Until I see who we spend this money on it's tough to really assess whether squabbling over 2 mil was a good decision. The Rams will have to make some shockingly good acquisitions to convince me that this 2 mil was worth not keeping Bruce. I just don't have a good feeling about this.

I'm with Mok on this one, if Bruce ends up on another team the bitter taste in my mouth won't be going away anytime soon. If we were talking about some huge dollar amount I would understand, but the Rams were willing to spend 3 mil on Bruce, so an extra 2 mil shouldn't be a deal breaker for someone like Ike, especially now that we did free up some room from the cuts and Little restructuring.

I'm not too high on the free agent WRs that are out there and who says we even get one anyways. So if Bennett gets hurt again or he can't figure out the system again well, I hope the 2 mil was worth it.

[Rammed]

Thanks Ike

and thanks Nick for your balanced posts and realistic views on this move. I agree with almost everything you have put up in this thread.

People need to get off the 2 million figure it's a 5.3 million cut. Yes it would have been 2 million if IKE would have agreed to the deal, he didn't so it's a 5.3 million salary cap move.

[ramsbruce]

Thanks Ike

and thanks Nick for your balanced posts and realistic views on this move. I agree with almost everything you have put up in this thread.

People need to get off the 2 million figure it's a 5.3 million cut. Yes it would have been 2 million if IKE would have agreed to the deal, he didn't so it's a 5.3 million salary cap move.

I am a realist and always have been, anyone here who knows me knows that. I love Bruce but this isn't emotion talking, I've thought long and hard about it and don't believe it is a good move. Yep Nick is being realistic (he always is) but I don't think anyone taking Bruce's side are being unrealistic either. That's the point, I don't see the 5 mil as unreasonable or unrealistic. If the figure was higher I would most likely be on board with what the Rams did. We were already willing to give him 3 mil so the 2 mil figure comes into play in the discussion like it or not. If the Rams didn't approach Bruce about restructuring it's not like he was going to hold out, so the 2 mil is the difference. Either way you slice it 2 mil or 5 mil I think it's a huge mistake.

[majorram]

Just read this news... real sad guys.:\:\.. thanks bruce for the memories...you will always be a Ram to ME!!!.....this just sucks guys


steve

[Guam rammer]

I think his Jersey deserves to be retired in the Dome more than Marshalls. If he doesnt come back as a ram and retires somewhere else, i think we owe him that.

[curleyski]

this is another fine example of this sorry so called leadership or ownership of our beloved rams team. to cut or release this legend and possibly allow him to sign with the HATED ******'s makes me sick. he won't even look right in that sorry uniform that team has, this a really sad day for us rams fans. hopefully they try one more time to resign reverand ike. but if not i will never forget every single game breaking play he made for us rams fans, the 4 td game to break the 17 loss in a row to the ******'s, THE ONLY "TRUE" CATCH in the superbowl,:l amazing stuff! i just hope wherever he ends up he doesn't come back to torch us! i remember the first year the rams traded jim everett to the saints, he came back to anehiem and lit out a$$e$ up! PLEASE ISSAC, RETIRE BEFORE YOU SIGN WITH THE ENEMY!

[81~BIG-GAME]

Disappointed and saddened at the news but not really shocked tbh. Kinda expected it to happen, costing $5.3m against the cap was always gonna hurt with his age unfortunately. Ike has helped the team out in the past by taking pay-cut's so I can fully understand why he feel's he shouldn't have to again. One thing is certain no. 80 will always have a place in our hearts for the skill, determination and class he showed in his long and illustrious career as a Ram..

[jkramsfan]

this truly is a horrible day and I am feeling pretty bad right now,let me throw this question out there,do you think Isaac's relationship with Linehan had anything to do with him turning down the Rams offer ? when he redid his contract a couple years back he said he wanted to always be a Ram but after 2 years of Linehan and facing a third do you think he just said enough of this guy it's time for me to go ?

[Rambos]

When I talk about age, I factor in how that age affects the rest of his game and what he's able to do on the field. He's certainly not going to get faster with age or more explosive, and if Al Saunders values speed in his offensive scheme, then Bruce becomes even less valuable to him. You also have to consider that Bruce really hasn't been much of a scoring threat over the last couple of years - 10 touchdowns in the last three seasons. I think when you look at the whole picture, $5.3 million is hardly ideal. When you're a 3-13 team, these are the kinds of tough decisions you have to make. In the past couple days, the Rams have turned $7 million in cap space to $19 million in cap space. IMO I think that helps our chances at pursuing guys that can really address the weak points of our team.

Nice, post Nick. Hey we all Love the guy, if Bruce said this was my last year and retired, we all feel better. Bottom line Bruce wants to keep playing, the Rams have to move on.