Wide receiver Isaac Bruce is moving close to a reunion with his former head coach.

FOXSports.com has learned that Bruce is heading to San Francisco for a free-agent meeting with the 49ers, which recently hired Mike Martz as their offensive coordinator.

Bruce spent the past 14 seasons with St. Louis, including six (2000 to 2005) when Martz was head coach. The Rams released Bruce on Thursday to avoid paying him a $2 million roster bonus.

One of the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history, the 35-year-old Bruce has 942 career catches for 14,109 yards and 84 touchdowns.

Another free-agent wide receiver garnering interest is New Orleans’ Devery Henderson. FOXSports.com has learned that Tampa Bay will be hosting Henderson on a visit. A four-year NFL veteran, Henderson caught 20 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns last season while making nine starts.

Henderson has the kind of big-play ability currently lacking in Tampa Bay’s wide receiver corps outside of Joey Galloway.

X: The Dallas Morning News reported that the Cowboys have traded defensive tackle Jason Ferguson to Miami. Dallas and the Dolphins will swap sixth-round picks in the 2007 draft, which moves the Cowboys to the top of the round. Dallas also will receive a 2009 sixth-round pick.

After missing almost all of last season with a torn biceps, Ferguson became expendable when Jay Ratliff and Tank Johnson played well in his place. The Dolphins were in need of a 3-4 nose tackle after releasing Keith Traylor. Ferguson also played under Dolphins executive vice president Bill Parcells in 2005 and 2006 when the latter was Cowboys coach.

X: Dolphins guard Rex Hadnot is visiting today with the Houston Texans. Hadnot, a 55-game Dolphins starter who played at the University of Houston, is believed to have become expendable in Miami after the club reportedly signed San Francisco guard Justin Smiley to a free-agent contract.

FOXSports.com has learned Jacksonville’s Marcus Stroud will be taking a visit to Buffalo, which could lead to a trade between the two teams for the defensive tackle’s services.

The Jaguars have given Stroud permission to shop himself in a trade. Stroud’s lofty salary (a team-high $6.3 million in 2008) and struggles to stay on the field have landed him on the trading block. Stroud has missed 12 games the past two seasons because of injuries and a steroid suspension.

Between 2003 and 2005, Stroud was one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles. He could help upgrade a Bills defense that ranked 25th against the run (124.6-yard average) last season.

FOXSports.com also has learned that Atlanta has expressed interest in Stroud. A deal would reunite Stroud with Atlanta head coach Mike Smith, who was his defensive coordinator in Jacksonville the past five seasons. The Falcons need defensive line help after releasing Rod Coleman earlier this month.

Don’t be surprised if Arizona linebacker Calvin Pace leaves South Florida as a member of the Miami Dolphins following a free-agent visit.

A league source told FOXSports.com that Miami is preparing to offer Pace the same kind of mega-deal that linebackers Adalius Thomas and Joey Porter received in free agency last off-season. New England and Miami signed Thomas and Porter respectively to five-year, $32 million contracts that included $20 million in guaranteed money.

Incidentally, Thomas and Porter never made the kind of impact in 2007 that was expected for the money paid.

While the 2003 first-round pick struggled as a 4-3 defensive end in his first four NFL seasons, Pace blossomed last year when moved to outside linebacker in Arizona’s new 3-4 scheme. Pace finished with career highs in tackles (98), sacks (6.5) and passes defensed (6).

By franchising fellow outside linebacker Karlos Dansby, Arizona was willing to let Pace test the market. Unless wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald can be signed to a new contract that lowers his salary cap number of roughly $16 million, Arizona appears likely to lose Pace and wideout Bryant Johnson in free agency.

X: San Francisco running back Maurice Hicks is planning to take a future free-agent visit to Minnesota, FOXSports.com has learned.

Hicks started five games for the 49ers in 2004 and 2005 and has primarily handled kick returns for the past two seasons.

Philadelphia and Houston also have expressed interest in Hicks, a source said.

X: Adam Caplan of scout.com reports that New Orleans will re-sign defensive tackle Brian Young and linebacker Mark Simoneau. Young is slated to receive a three-year, $12 million deal.

FOXSports.com senior NFL writer Alex Marvez weighs in with NFL news and notes every Monday. Here are some final thoughts on New England’s 24-20 victory over Indianapolis.

So when can we do this again?

Not only did Sunday’s New England-Indianapolis game live up to the pre-game hype, you were left wanting more. The rematch should come in the AFC Championship game.

If it does, here are some things that will be different:

Peyton Manning should have a full complement of targets. Colts coach Tony Dungy said Friday that wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee) would play if this were the postseason. Dungy was clearly thinking long-term when Harrison was declared inactive.

The in-game loss of rookie wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (thumb) further crippled Indianapolis’ receiver corps. After rolling up 187 first-half yards, running back Joseph Addai was limited to 49 in the final two quarters. The Patriots also kept wide receiver Reggie Wayne (five catches for 62 yards) in check and took away tight end Dallas Clark (2-15) with frequent use of an extra defensive back. On Indianapolis’ final possession, two of Manning’s three passes were intended for wide receiver Aaron Moorehead and tight end Bryan Fletcher. Neither of those players would be targeted during such a critical time if Harrison and Gonzalez were healthy.

The Patriots will find a way to get outside linebacker Adalius Thomas more involved. New England didn’t give Thomas a five-year, $32 million contract to serve as a situational player. Yet that’s exactly what happened Sunday, as one of the Patriots’ best pass-rushers was barely used. The company line is that New England’s use of a four-man defensive front in its nickel package limited Thomas’ snaps. Conspiracy theorists will believe Thomas ran afoul of Bill Belichick by spending Friday night partying with the Jacksonville Jaguars.  

Belichick will show some class. Ok, maybe not. Belichick’s anti-social behavior during post-game handshakes is taking on a life of its own. This time, Belichick gave Dungy a half-hearted handshake before quickly walking off while the Colts coach was trying to tell him something. This might have been Belichick’s way of expressing that he wasn’t happy Dungy gave his two cents on the Spygate scandal. Or maybe Belichick was upset New England didn’t have a chance to run up the score.

Inside the Colts locker room, it was clear Dungy had stressed this wasn’t the postseason and Indianapolis (7-1) still has half a season remaining before the playoffs begin.

"Nobody’s perfect," Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson said. "We’ve just got to learn from this. We’ve got a lot of games left and would like to meet them again."

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also tried to keep the victory and New England’s perfect start in perspective.

"I can pick about 20 plays out there where we had weaknesses," Brady said. "The thing is we’re  9-0 and it really doesn’t matter. What matters is in January. I think this was a great step in preparation for games down the road."

Hopefully, one of them will be Patriots-Colts.