By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/05/2006
THE RAMS' OFFER
$9 million over the next three years
Are Isaac Bruce's days numbered with the Rams?
What once seemed unthinkable suddenly seems possible. According to league sources, a contract impasse between Bruce and the Rams has reached the point where the club might release Bruce rather than carry his $10 million salary cap figure into the 2006 season.
Barring another delay in the start of what's called the "league year" - that is, the free agency and trading period - that could happen as early as Sunday. As things stand, Bruce is due a $1.5 million roster bonus Monday. Rather than pay that bonus Monday, the club is considering releasing Bruce in the absence of a new contract.
Bruce quietly agreed to contract renegotiations a couple of times in the past, most recently in 2002. But on those occasions, the Rams merely shifted money around to create immediate cap relief. This time, the team is asking him to take a significant pay cut.
The team is offering Bruce $9 million over three years, including $5 million this season in the form of roster bonus and signing bonus, according to league sources.
But without an extension, Bruce is due $8.1 million alone in 2006 under his current contract - the last year of a seven- year deal signed in 2000. That $8.1 million breaks down as follows: the $1.5 million roster bonus; $6.5 million in base salary; and a $100,000 offseason workout bonus.
So Bruce would make $3.1 million less this season under the extension. And in essence, he would be playing the entire three years of the Rams' proposal for only $900,000 more than he's scheduled to make this year alone under the old contract. (The $8.1 million in '06 compared to the $9 million, three-year proposal.)
Since the Rams moved to St. Louis from southern California in 1995, Bruce has been the face of the franchise. He has been dubbed the original "St. Louis" Ram, because he's the only player to have been with the team all 11 seasons in St. Louis.
Bruce played his rookie season of 1994 with the Los Angeles Rams, and then moved with the franchise to St. Louis in 1995. He was the team's only marquee player in its early years in St. Louis, and its first Pro Bowl selection. He caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the Rams' Super Bowl XXXIV victory over Tennessee.
Those close to Bruce say he would be willing to take a pay cut if the team was in a bad cap position. But the Rams are believed to be more than $10 million under the current projected cap of $94.5 million, even after making tender offers to several restricted free agents late last week.
At face value, the restructuring is similar to what the Rams did a year ago with Marshall Faulk, with Faulk taking a paycut from $6 million to $4 million in terms of money received in 2005. But Faulk's production had dipped annually since the Rams' 2001 Super Bowl season (the loss to New England), and he knew entering the 2005 season that his role would be greatly reduced behind
Steven Jackson.
There has been no indication that Bruce will have a reduced role in St. Louis next season. Nine days ago at the NFL Scouting Combine, coach Scott Linehan said: "He still has a lot of juice. You watch him, even before he hurt his toe (last) year, he still runs every bit as good in my opinion as he ever did. He's got a couple really good years left in him."
Prior to missing five games with a toe injury last season, Bruce's production had been as good as ever. In 2004, he caught 89 passes - the second-highest total of his career, and his 1,292 receiving yards was his highest season total since 2000.
Bruce could not be reached for comment Saturday. Bruce's agent, Jimmy Sexton, said: "I know that Isaac really wants to finish his career as a Ram. Hopefully, something can be worked out."
The Rams normally don't discuss ongoing negotiations, and when reached Saturday, president of football operations Jay Zygmunt declined comment.
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