ST. LOUIS — He was the first "St. Louis" Ram to make the Pro Bowl and the last Los Angeles Ram to survive the move to the Midwest in 1995. In between, he caught one clutch pass after another, including the game-winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl against Tennessee.

For years the face of the franchise in St. Louis, wide receiver Isaac Bruce was released by the club yesterday.

"He is obviously one of the iconic Rams in the 70-year history of the franchise," said Jay Zygmunt, the team's president of football operations-general manager. "As impressive as his performance has been on the field, how he lived life on a daily basis off the field is even more impressive. He'll always be a Ram."

But business is business in the NFL, and with Bruce turning 36 next season, the Rams thought the $5 million he was due in 2008 could be better spent elsewhere.

With a $2 million roster bonus due today, Bruce apparently declined to accept a pay cut proposed by the club, leading to his release. Besides the roster bonus, Bruce was scheduled to make $3 million in base salary in 2008.

The team's final offer to Bruce apparently was $3 million — in other words, the base salary minus the roster bonus.

"It's based solely on the business and the economic side," coach Scott Linehan told the Post-Dispatch. "Jay had several discussions with Isaac's agent trying to figure out how to get another contract done that would enable Isaac to play here next season."

Linehan said he talked to Bruce last week and told him that he would like to get something done. But it seems clear the Rams feel it's time to see what Drew Bennett — a free-agent disappointment last season — can do as a starter. Had Bruce returned for less money, it probably would've been as the team's No. 3 receiver.

Two years ago, the Rams cut Bruce only to re-sign him to a three-year deal less than a week later. Linehan said he wouldn't rule out a similar scenario this time around but added, "It's more remote than the last time."

Neither Bruce, nor his agent Jimmy Sexton could be reached for comment.

Bruce ended the 2007 season third on the NFL's career list for receiving yards (14,109), trailing only Jerry Rice (22,895) and Tim Brown (14,934). Bruce also finished the year with 942 catches, ranking sixth on the NFL's all-time list.

The four-time Pro Bowler was a second-round draft choice for the Rams in 1994 and has been with the team since. Over 14 seasons with the Rams, Bruce has experienced every high and low imaginable — from the franchise move, to the days as the "Same Old Sorry (Bleep) Rams," to the high-flying "Greatest Show on Turf," to the fall back to mediocrity and worse.

"I can't say enough good things about him," Linehan said. "He's one of the greatest receivers to ever play this game. ... It's tough. We've had a trying offseason, but we're pretty dedicated to trying to improve our roster with a free agent or two. And the only way to do that is to clear out some cap room."

The Rams freed up $5 million by releasing Bruce and an additional $1.9 million by releasing backup quarterback Gus Frerotte on Thursday. Frerotte was due a $500,000 roster bonus to go along with a $1.4 million base salary.

As the final hours ticked away before today's start of the free-agency period, the Rams declined to make one-year tender offers to restricted free agents

Jerome Carter and Trevor Johnson. Carter, a safety, and Johnson, a defensive end, now become the equivalent of unrestricted free agents. The Rams remain interested in re-signing Carter, but for less than the $927,000 he would have received as a restricted free agent.

Rumors circulated that defensive end James Hall might join Bruce and Frerotte as cap casualties. He is due $3.5 million in 2008, $500,000 of which would come in the form of a roster bonus. Hall was not released Thursday, but since his roster bonus isn't due today, he's not out of the woods yet.

The release of Bruce and Frerotte, coupled with the restructuring of defensive end Leonard Little's contract, leaves the Rams more than $15 million under the salary cap.

Even in a lean free-agency market, Linehan said, "We're trying to get in the game. ... There's not as many options this year as there has been, but it doesn't mean we can't try to be aggressive."