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.
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.
Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com . He's covered the NFL for 13 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America.