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Jerry Rice, Broncos talking about uniting this season
Jerry Rice believes he could help any team as long as he plays
Jerry Rice and the Denver Broncos, each with a need for the other, are exploring the idea of uniting this season, according to NFL.com's Adam Schefter.
Rice and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who worked together for three years in San Francisco, were scheduled to talk at some point in the past 24 hours, and Shanahan also conducted preliminary talks this weekend with Rice's agent, Jim Steiner.
Now the question becomes, can they work out a deal.
It sounds like both sides want to make sure this is the right match before moving forward. The 42-year-old Rice wants to be assured that he will have a role in the Broncos offense, and the Broncos want to make sure that Rice will be happy playing whatever role he does, even if it is limited.
Rice is willing to concede he will not start this season, but he would like to play. Denver would not expect him to start, but with as many four and five wide-receiver sets as the Broncos use, Rice might be able to get extensive time. Rice already has turned down one offer from another team, but now he will have a chance to talk seriously with another.
Interestingly, the Broncos weren't interested in Rice when he was available last season, but there were two main reasons:
It's highly unlikely that the Raiders would have traded Rice in their division, to a rival no less. But just as important, the Broncos believed Rice would want to be a starter, and they were set with their starters already.
Denver would be an ideal landing spot for Rice, given the leadership he could provide. Denver has veteran wide receiver Rod Smith and up-and-coming receivers Ashley Lelie and Darius Watts. The Broncos figure that Rice would be a great example for Lelie and Watts, not to mention valuable insurance in case Smith gets hurt.
Plus, don't forget that Rice did average 14.3 yards per catch last season, his highest average since 1995. So it's not like he can't run anymore.
Last week, Steiner sent a fax to all 32 NFL teams, informing them that "The GOAT -- Greatest of All Time" -- was still available. This is unusual for a future Hall of Famer to do.
But it was not the memo that helped sway Shanahan. He already knew Rice was available and when Denver failed to come away with a wide receiver in the draft, it made sense to look at a veteran he already knew.
Source: AP