Kelly The Dog
03-03-2005, 07:20 AM
Right now, Travis Henry is our back-up RB. A lot of Bills fans have turned sour on him for his whining, as well as his lack of production last year and his previous fumbles. But the fact is, if we cannot trade him for Shelton or someone that will play a significant role, he is likely to stay as our back-up RB. And something I don't think has been discussed, is the Whine Factor.
Last year, it seemed as though all of the actual whining as well as all of the alleged and just plain lies about whining came from the "play-me-or-trade me" or "I am not a back-up" variety. That can work, and get a guy traded, as no one wants a malcontent with two years to go on his contract, and a trade is a possibility. That is what is happening now. But if there is no trade possiblity as we start next season, and Travis will without question be gone after the coming 2005 season as a UFA, there is virtually no Whining Factor Incentive, there is only the Prove I Am Still Good Incentive. If Travis is our back-up this year (and decides to try), we have one of the top back-ups in the game. If he pouts like last year, who is likely to offer ANY significant money to a player who has been not only on the bench and ineffective for two full years but clearly a jerk. If he plays hard as a back-up and succeeds, he is a player with recent success and a lot left in the tank who was just in an unfortunate RB controversy.
If we don't trade him for Shelton, I think we will and should keep him. He will pout for a while and then sit down with his agent and decide, I am going to show those mofo's, like he has several times in his past, at Tennessee, early on with the Bills, and hopefully this year.
Last year, it seemed as though all of the actual whining as well as all of the alleged and just plain lies about whining came from the "play-me-or-trade me" or "I am not a back-up" variety. That can work, and get a guy traded, as no one wants a malcontent with two years to go on his contract, and a trade is a possibility. That is what is happening now. But if there is no trade possiblity as we start next season, and Travis will without question be gone after the coming 2005 season as a UFA, there is virtually no Whining Factor Incentive, there is only the Prove I Am Still Good Incentive. If Travis is our back-up this year (and decides to try), we have one of the top back-ups in the game. If he pouts like last year, who is likely to offer ANY significant money to a player who has been not only on the bench and ineffective for two full years but clearly a jerk. If he plays hard as a back-up and succeeds, he is a player with recent success and a lot left in the tank who was just in an unfortunate RB controversy.
If we don't trade him for Shelton, I think we will and should keep him. He will pout for a while and then sit down with his agent and decide, I am going to show those mofo's, like he has several times in his past, at Tennessee, early on with the Bills, and hopefully this year.