Bruce could have stayed . but didn't , WHY.

[keith m. klink]

Why didn't IKE stay a RAM . i'm going to ask all you guy's and gal's what you think is the reason . from what i had heard , the RAMS were asking him to take 3MILLION a year and not the 5 MIL. in the contract.

what if this is the case and the 3-million wasn't enough . i know that BRUCE was the long time face of the team, but the option was there to stay a RAM and retire a RAM . i know both sides have to be torn . on one hand the RAMS keep asking him to take a cut , and he didn't want to either time so he got cut instead . both times offered a contract before and after the fact. i want you guy's to correct me if i'm wrong , but in my opinion after 14 years on a team , you don't jump to the teams ARCH rival for a little extra cash and a chance to pad your numbers with an old coach and 1 last hurrah .

i'n my opinion , and i'll take the beating for this one ( even though i love BRUCE and have for a long long time ) i think that IKE didn't stand up for the team , he stood up for the money and one last chance to be THE GO TO GUY, the #1 receiver , and not stay with his team mates , and so this is the NFL in the free agent world .

I'm sorry to see him go , but he could have stayed . his choice . not our's .

[Athens]

Because he wanted to win?

[rammiser]

If he wanted to win he wouldnt have gone to Frisco.

[keith m. klink]

WITH ALEX SMITH AS HIS QB c'mon , the team is in shambles too. it has to be because of the new life as the #1 receiver again with the old coach who will pad his HOF numbers for a year or 2 . he could have stayed if he wanted to . he was offered a contract . i am very interested in the contract he received from the 40winers .

[general counsel]

How about because he has sacrificed time and time and time again both on and off the field, including money wise, over a 14 year period. How about because life is a two way street and maybe the rams should have honored the contract that they signed him to in recognition for everything he did for the team.

how about because he thought linehan was a joke. How about because he didnt feel like the team treated him right. we have no way of knowing what went on in the negotiations.

At the end of the day, it comes down to this. How good do you think bruce still is. If you think he is at best a #3, thats different than thinking that he can still play at a #2 level (which is what i believe)

The real problem for the rams is that they were locked into bennett for 30 million. They didnt want to pay two #2 receivers. If bennett wasnt around, much higher shot that bruce would have stayed in my view, independent of the money.

Life is about compromise. I dont think its fair to say bruce should have taken the hit this time. I think the rams owed it to him- ie to honor the contract that they signed with him or at least get closer and offer him 4 million rather than 3 million.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[TekeRam]

Exactly, GC. He's doing it to be the #1 again for a while and saw the writing on the wall that he's be the #3 for the rest of his Rams career. In a horrid offensive year here he still just about equaled their best production, and so it's no doubt in my mind that he did it just because Martz is there so he can get 70-90 catches and 1,000 for a couple years before he comes back to retire.

[keith m. klink]

wELL I HATE THIS BUSINESS PART OF IT ALREADY , NO I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS FAIR , but if it isn't about the money what is it . after 14 years , he has to have enough money . and yes i would be trying to get a big payday for as long as i could , but if i had 14 years on a club , and they were in trouble with cap room , i would not know what i would do , but i would like to think i would stay a RAM and retire a RAM even if it meant less money . so until we know the specifics we will just have to be sad for this day . GENERAL if i had to put money on the situation , i would say BRUCE left because of linehan, even though SAUNDERS was coming back .

[txramsfan]

I honestly think it was Linehan. Pure speculation on my part, but I don't think the Rams players go into every game KNOWING they have a chance to win.

Say what you want about Martz, but every game the team went into play they knew they had a good chance of winning. That attitude is not there with this regime. Bruce is a competitor. You should have seen him at Memphis State torching Ole Miss. He loved to beat Ole Miss. He'll love to beat the Rams. Trust me. He couldn't be happier right now playing once again for Martz.

[HUbison]

i would say BRUCE left because of linehan, even though SAUNDERS was coming back .

Oddly enough, the Dispatch is reporting that Saunders DIDN'T fight for Bruce's return. Took me a little by surprise, but maybe Saunders wasn't all that interested in having Bruce back anyway?

The real problem for the rams is that they were locked into bennett for 30 million.

That is EXACTLY right! The Bennett deal today makes the FO look very foolish. A lot of good money chasing bad. However, it's a done deal, so the Rams had to play the hand dealt. Contrary to popular opinion, Bruce actually had a much higher cap hit than Bennett this year ($5.33 M to $3.75 M, I believe). Does Bruce deserve his money more than Bennett deserves his? I'd say, yes! Bennett's cap hit is 70% of Bruce's, but with only 50% of the production. From pure numbers, Bruce had more value. However, cutting Bennett would have more significant (in terms of cap) than cutting Bruce, therefore that's the way it went down.

Linny & Ziggy made the bed the Rams now have to lay in......there just wasn't enough covers for Bruce.

[HUbison]

He couldn't be happier right now playing once again for Martz.

I agree, tx. And didn't he even say as much right after the season when all this speculation came out?

Him going to the whiners shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

[Rambos]

My guess is, he was going to play less, if we took a WR in the second. We need to get speed at WR we all said it at one time, its a need. I bet Martz was one of the fews that would get Bruce as much playing time. Bruce still wants to play and add to his numbers, he not in the HOF yet. My guess. I know he hates the whiners.

[HUbison]

I know he hates the whiners.

Rambos, do we really know he hates the whiners, or do we just want him to hate the whiners?

Fellas, these guys are professionals, not fans. Put yourself in that situation. You work for company A doing whatever it is that any of us do at work. Company B is the big competitor, and you love nothing more than beating them.....getting the big sales contract, better quarter numbers, higher share price, whatever. But if Company A comes to you and says you're being "downsized" AND Company B says they've got a place for you at more than Company A is offering..........would you extend your career at Company B?

Of course you would. We'd be lying to ourselves if we said otherwise.

[Rambos]

Rambos, do we really know he hates the whiners, or do we just want him to hate the whiners?

You are right, he must not he going to put that sinken whiner uni on. my bad. I agree with you, he was getting down sized and still wants to play, we have seen many players have to make this move. I don't blam the Rams, it was time. I wish Bruce took the 3 mil and said this will be my last year. But like you said HUb he has the right to keep playing.

[HUbison]

You are right, he must not he going to put that sinken whiner uni on. my bad. I agree with you, he was getting down sized and still wants to play, we have seen many players have to make this move. I don't blam the Rams, it was time. I wish Bruce took the 3 mil and said this will be my last year. But like you said HUb he has the right to keep playing.

I agree. In this situation I can't blame either side. However, if blame must be assessed, I put it on the FO for the Bennett signing. I think that was the biggest (though certainly not the only) factor leading to Bruce's cut.

[keith m. klink]

WELL this now leaves the door open for the rams to pull the trigger on a WR with 2nd pick . install him next to HOLT and BENNETT . with BRUCE and WILKINS gone , it might be LOOKERStime to go , and that will open up another wr