THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Receiver Isaac Bruce formally signed his two-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, four days after agreeing to continue his 14-year career with the St. Louis Rams’ longtime division rival.
Bruce, who trails only Jerry Rice and Tim Brown in career receiving yardage, could be the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver next season under offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz, the longtime architect of the Rams offence.
“I have a lot left. If that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t be here in San Francisco,” said Bruce, a four-time Pro Bowl selection. “I haven’t really thought about football for the last two months. I haven’t set my goals yet. My hopes are very high. I’m going to set my goals very high, and I believe I will attain them.”
Bruce is sixth in league history with 942 receptions. He has had eight 1,000-yard seasons, and he caught the winning touchdown pass from Kurt Warner in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans in 2000.
The 35-year-old Bruce believes he’ll be a good resource for the rest of the Niners’ offensive players as they adjust to the high-octane offence favoured by Martz, who was hired as the club’s sixth offensive co-ordinator in six seasons last January. Martz is expected to fix the NFL’s least effective offence.
“Just watching the Lions play last year, I didn’t see too many different things going on,” Bruce said of Martz’s scheme in 2007 when he ran Detroit’s offence. “I saw the offence being very effective, and I was very familiar with what was going on. Maybe guys coming in and asking me what a person may think, or what coach Martz may think in a situation, I believe I will be able to help.”
