Rice agrees to terms with Broncos

Tommy · 05-25-05, 06:48 PM

Englewood, CO (Sports Network) - Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice will return for his 21st season in the NFL after agreeing to terms on a contract with the Denver Broncos.

Rice, who holds a myriad of league records, contemplated retirement before joining his third different team in two years. Rice will now catch passes from Jake Plummer and share receptions with veteran wideout Rod Smith and youngsters Ashley Lelie and Darius Watts.

"You don't expect him to be the Jerry Rice of 28 years old, but he's still good," Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan said last week. "We know he can still catch. I saw him catch a one-handed touchdown (against the New York Jets) last year. The guy can still play smart."

Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator for Rice at San Francisco from 1992-94, added that he would not guarantee Rice a roster spot.

"There's no promises of him being the third receiver, the fourth receiver, the fifth receiver," Shanahan remarked in his comments last week. "We're going to give him a chance to compete with the other receivers."

The 42-year-old Rice joined Seattle in a 2004 mid-season trade with Oakland and played 11 games for the Seahawks, starting nine. As a member of the NFC West-champion Seahawks, Rice recorded 362 yards and three touchdowns on 25 catches. He had five receptions for 67 yards in six games with the Raiders.

A two-time NFL Player of the Year, Rice holds just about every NFL record for wide receivers, including 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards and 197 touchdowns. He also holds the record for total touchdowns with 208.

In Week 2 of the 2004 season versus Buffalo, Rice had his record streak of consecutive games with a reception halted at 274. Thanks to such incredible stats, Rice has been invited to 13 Pro Bowls.

"I'm not bringing him in here just because he's a leader and he knows the game," Shanahan added. "I'm bringing him in here because I think there's a legitimate chance for him to help our football team win."

The Mississippi Valley State product spent the first 16 seasons of his career with San Francisco, winning three Super Bowl titles, before crossing the bay into Oakland as a free agent in 2001.

He was the MVP of the 49ers' Super Bowl XXIII triumph over Cincinnati, catching 11 passes for 215 yards in a 20-16 victory.

05/25 14:02:57 ET

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naught33 · 05-26-05, 05:31 AM

i don't know why they picked up rice...doesn't really fill a need for them...denvers problems the past 2 yrs has been they can't stop indy, rice won't help that....pick up some more dbs not WRs denver...geez

Tommy · 05-26-05, 05:37 AM

Yeah I agree Naught, Denver already has Rod Smith and Lelie. I think they should focus on other positions, maybe they will, who knows. I dont think Rice is a bad pickup, he is a good spot player still and a mentor, but if thats all the transactions the Broncos do this off season than thats bad.

05-25-05, 06:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tommy Now go get your shinebox Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sportscapper Island Posts: 15,109	Rice agrees to terms with Broncos Englewood, CO (Sports Network) - Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice will return for his 21st season in the NFL after agreeing to terms on a contract with the Denver Broncos. Rice, who holds a myriad of league records, contemplated retirement before joining his third different team in two years. Rice will now catch passes from Jake Plummer and share receptions with veteran wideout Rod Smith and youngsters Ashley Lelie and Darius Watts. "You don't expect him to be the Jerry Rice of 28 years old, but he's still good," Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan said last week. "We know he can still catch. I saw him catch a one-handed touchdown (against the New York Jets) last year. The guy can still play smart." Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator for Rice at San Francisco from 1992-94, added that he would not guarantee Rice a roster spot. "There's no promises of him being the third receiver, the fourth receiver, the fifth receiver," Shanahan remarked in his comments last week. "We're going to give him a chance to compete with the other receivers." The 42-year-old Rice joined Seattle in a 2004 mid-season trade with Oakland and played 11 games for the Seahawks, starting nine. As a member of the NFC West-champion Seahawks, Rice recorded 362 yards and three touchdowns on 25 catches. He had five receptions for 67 yards in six games with the Raiders. A two-time NFL Player of the Year, Rice holds just about every NFL record for wide receivers, including 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards and 197 touchdowns. He also holds the record for total touchdowns with 208. In Week 2 of the 2004 season versus Buffalo, Rice had his record streak of consecutive games with a reception halted at 274. Thanks to such incredible stats, Rice has been invited to 13 Pro Bowls. "I'm not bringing him in here just because he's a leader and he knows the game," Shanahan added. "I'm bringing him in here because I think there's a legitimate chance for him to help our football team win." The Mississippi Valley State product spent the first 16 seasons of his career with San Francisco, winning three Super Bowl titles, before crossing the bay into Oakland as a free agent in 2001. He was the MVP of the 49ers' Super Bowl XXIII triumph over Cincinnati, catching 11 passes for 215 yards in a 20-16 victory. 05/25 14:02:57 ET powered by www.sportsnetwork.com.
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05-26-05, 05:31 AM	#2 (permalink)
naught33 SCI Forum Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Scarsdale, NY Posts: 13,666	i don't know why they picked up rice...doesn't really fill a need for them...denvers problems the past 2 yrs has been they can't stop indy, rice won't help that....pick up some more dbs not WRs denver...geez __________________ -naught33 "You miss 100% of all the shots you don't take"-Wayne Gretzky "No one, and I mean no one, comes into our house and pushes us around"-coach from the movie Rudy
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05-26-05, 05:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
Tommy Now go get your shinebox Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sportscapper Island Posts: 15,109	Yeah I agree Naught, Denver already has Rod Smith and Lelie. I think they should focus on other positions, maybe they will, who knows. I dont think Rice is a bad pickup, he is a good spot player still and a mentor, but if thats all the transactions the Broncos do this off season than thats bad.
Status: Offline