An idea for RB situation

[Judge]

I haven't been around much lately- here's a salvo for discussion:

Some may recall that I've never been a big Travis Henry fan. He had a solid year last season, but the fumbling problems were significant and have been given a little revisionist history in the media lately. He'd be fine IF he can hold on to the ball- that's a gigantic IF though, as he's fumbled alot over the 2 seasons here.

Drafting McGahee tells me that Henry's out of here no matter what if McGahee is truly healthy. Either Henry fizzles this year and is shipped or waived, or he shines this year and is traded for a big-time #1 draft choice.

For the fun of it, here's my thought: let's trade Henry now! We've got Olandis Gary to mind the store until McGahee is ready to play every down. A Henry/McGahee tandem would never work b/c both guys need alot of carries. Why not get rid of Henry now before he could permanently derail his career with fumbilitis? Gary could do well as a starter on this team for 1 season- he was arguably a legit starter in Denver.

[Dozerdog]

No way.


Biggest risk without the best return. Next year will be a deep draft, but for the third season in a row very weak in RB's. No significant FA running backs out there either.

Gary has had significant injuries the past 2-3 seasons and has not proven he wasn't a 1 year wonder.

McGahee is not recovered.

Henry - fumbler but at this point, our only proven run threat.


I just don't see the advantages of trading him right now. We gain nothing by dropping Henry here. If we get a #1 or more from people, we still can't use it for 12 months. Get miles of of TH, than do it 11 months from now. Or keep both. Denver prooved the value of depth at Running back the past few seasons.

[LABillsFan]

You know what Judge, the day of the draft I posted a thread that asked if people were confident with the backfield if it consisted of Gash, Gary, Crosby, Morris and throw in Simonton for the same reason you stated above. All I got was a few bitter responses about how I left out our "Pro bowl" RB. Pro bowl because Holmes was down with an injury. I asked because it is a possibility but some don't want to hear it. I like Henry but from day one was not convinced he is a RB that can be relied on. I would say go for it and let the experience of Gary and Gash head the backfield.

[Dozerdog]

My only question to you would be-


For what? Forget who for the moment- What would we trade Henry for? Draft picks? Why lose his services for the season if we can't draft again until after the season?

[Brian H]

While were at it let's trade Bledsoe as well.Hey what the hell why not?

[LABillsFan]

Bonly???? Do you mean dog bonly? If, I repeat If there was enough confidence in the backfield w/o Henry, I'd like to see at least a 1st. round pick. The Bills could be and should be a playoff team next year which means a low roulnd 1st pick again. It would be nice to have 2 picks and be able to grab another big play maker. If The coaching staff doesn't feel that there would be enough production w/o Henry then waiting a year may be the only thing they can do.

[LABillsFan]

If we had Steve Young in the wings maybe.

[Dozerdog]

I agree on the pick we get- I just don't agree giving Henry away now.

Why let someone else use him while McG recovers? Get another 1200 yards 12 TDs out of him then ship him off.

[LABillsFan]

For all we know he could come on like gang busters this year, It's just one possibility. It's just that WM has the "intangebles" that TH doesn't seem to have. I think TH would fit in with straight forward offenses. The Bills have a dynamic O that could use a faster RB with better hands.

[Dozerdog]

He being McGahee? The Bills will take a very cautious approach.

There will not be any rush to get him on the field.

Even if McG defies all th odds and does play..... again, why would you let someone else use him for the year? If we trade him now for a #1 or later, for the SAME #1? If anything, he makes a team better, thus dropping said #1 pick deeper into the draft. it just does not make sense to me to trade TH for anything now unless you get immediate impact help.....

[Tatonka]

they would never ever trade henry before the season.. and why give another team his services for this season, like doz said.. for example..

say we trade him to the texans.. imho.. henry could help them win at least 3 more games.. if not more.. they have a strong d, a good young qb, have been working on their line, and obviously have good young wrs.. they could be a good team.. so we get their first rounder, which would end up being lower than if we keep henry for the season, and then they get him when it is over.

see my point?

[LABillsFan]

Even if the Bills wait, there is a chance TH will help that team win 3 more games. I don't think TD would trade TH just for the sake of getting another draft choice. It would have to be for the right price and to the right team. If NE wanted TH I really don't think TD would make that trade, if lets say ARZ or CAR possibly. It's all a guessing game right now.

[LABillsFan]

He being Henry.

[Billz_fan]

If we let Henry go now just as the Bills are supposedly going to a more run oriented offense this season would be offensive suicide IMO.

No way you let a 1400 yard rusher go just as you are slanting your offense towards the run.

[Typ0]

I am pretty much on the same page as you guys but I think we have to open up the scope of our thought a little bit. What I mean by that is we are here analyzing the current situation and trying to say this is what is going to happen. TD is a good GM. He wakes up every day and asks himself "what can I do to make the team better today". This is the beauty of the McGahee pick. The fans are all pumped up about the team and with good reason. But the reality is we have a lot of maybe's in key areas that really won't be ferreted out until we start to move towards the season how they will perform. Some players are going to work out and some are not as far as the if's go and we aren't going to know until we get closer to game situations. So come the second and third week of pre-season the staff is going to be looking at a few areas of the team and really seeing where another player may make a big difference. Additionally, they are going to be looking to see if Henry has learned that lesson about the extra half a yard at the end of the play. It's going to be clearer to the staff if he has learned that lesson by this time. If he hasn't they are going to be looking at him as someone who is going to shorten their career with that effort; be a bigger risk for short term injuries and be a bigger risk for the fumble.

This is where I can see a possibility they may pull the trigger on a trade with Henry before next season--but there is still only a small possibility this will happen. The following things would have to fall into place I think:

1) Henry did not learn the aforementioned lesson. If he learns that lesson, I don't see them ever trading him--he will ride out his contract. Because he will have learned the differnce between when that half a yard was important and when it could wait until the next play, he will be a back that can be put on the field in third and short or inside the five yard line and pound the ball forward. That is invaluable and with some offensive line maturity he has the ability to be one of the best in the league.

2) McGahee is ready to play. I think there is a good chance this can happen. I think in McGahee's mind this is going to happen. This is something that can make it happen.

3) There is a win-win trade available that we can't pass up. Another team has their first string back get injured in camp and they are deep in one of our if areas that isn't working out. We point out to them what you guys said about Henry dropping the stock of their draft picks. We get a player that will help us in our if area right now...and we get their first round draft pick in the following season. We would have two first rounders and be able to easily trade up to get a player we really wanted or get two excellent players later in the round.

Pretty unlikely, but let's not rule it out until we start to see how the cards are falling as the season approaches. I think those three points are not all that far fetched. If McGahee is anything near what people are saying he can be we can slant out team towards the run if he is our back.