Bruce a high-priced Band-Aid for Niners

By Ross Drake  |   Monday, March 03, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

San Francisco 49ers
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The 49ers desperately needed help at wide receiver. Isaac Bruce needed a new home after the Rams released him. So on Friday, the two joined forces, reuniting the four-time Pro Bowler with former coach Mike Martz (now San Francisco's offensive coordinator) via a two-year, $6 million contract. Problem solved, right?

Well, like most of the moves the Niners have made at the position during the last few years - a Curtis Conway signing here, an ill-fated Antonio Bryant contract there - the acquisition of Bruce is a quick-fix, a bandage affixed to a gaping wound. Is it a step in the right direction? Sure. But Bruce's future is in Canton, Ohio, not San Francisco, Santa Clara or wherever the Yorks direct their floundering franchise in the next few years.

Don't get me wrong, the team knows that, too - the length of the contract tells us that much. Still, there's an upside. At 35, Bruce may not remind anyone of Jerry Rice in his prime, but with 14,109 career receiving yards, 84 touchdowns and a refreshing sense of old-school professionalism - the Niners, it should be noted, will be only his second team in 14 pro seasons - he is an elite veteran. Career-wise, he's on his last legs, but after hauling in 55 passes for 733 yards in 2007, he instantly becomes one of Alex Smith's most credible targets.

And that, in the end, may define his 49ers legacy. The team will be lucky to compete for the NFC West title in the next two years, much less the Lombardi Trophy, and though the addition of a big-name star at the end of his career may provide some temporary gratification for fans, the Niners will have to address their receiving corps again, whether through free agency or, more likely, the draft. What Bruce can offer is leadership, an intimate knowledge of Martz's high-flying offense from their days together in St. Louis, and hands soft enough to help Smith (or Shaun Hill) establish himself.

Clearly, he's the kind of player any team could use; the 49ers, in their current state, just don't top the list. Not that you will hear too many criticizing the move. With the price tag on Bernard Berrian a ridiculous one and the current crop of free-agent receivers remarkably thin after Randy Moss, it's hard to fault the Niners for picking up a Band-Aid. Make the best of it until it falls off.
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