RedEyE
07-15-2005, 08:49 PM
Jaguars, Henry are close</MCC HEAD>
<MCC SUBHEAD>Team reports encouraging news on Taylor, but trade talks still heat up for Buffalo back. </MCC SUBHEAD>
<MCC BYLINE1>By BART HUBBUCH</MCC BYLINE1>, <MCC BYLINE2>The Times-Union </MCC BYLINE2>
<MCC STORY>Acknowledging their concerns about Fred Taylor's availability this season, the Jaguars are close to completing a long-discussed trade for Buffalo Bills running back Travis Henry.
<!-- BEGIN AD TABLE--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=300 align=left border=0 VALIGN="top" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=300><!-- ADVERTISEMENT -->
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--OAS_AD('Middle');//--></SCRIPT>http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/800/14845/0/oasc04.247realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/default/empty.gif (http://ads.jacksonville.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/jaguars.jacksonville.com/stories/1186295307/Middle/default/empty.gif/64383862616630613432643836366330?) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- END AD TABLE -->Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said Thursday in a statement released by the team that a deal for Henry, a Pro Bowl selection in 2003, could be completed "in the next few days or week."
"The fact that we have an opportunity to acquire a running back of this kind of talent is something we have to look at so we're looking at it,'' Del Rio said in the statement. "This may or may not happen, but we're protecting our interests, and any time we think we can acquire somebody who can help us, we're going to do that."
The Jaguars are pursuing Henry, who at 26 is nearly three years younger than Taylor, despite what Del Rio described as an encouraging workout by Taylor earlier this week.
Taylor has been sidelined all offseason by surgery in January to repair two ligaments in his left knee that were damaged in the Jaguars' Dec. 19 victory at Green Bay, an injury that caused him to miss the final two games.
Taylor's workout prompted Del Rio to say the eight-year veteran would participate in one practice per day for at least the first week of training camp, which begins Friday, July 29. Taylor will be held out of the team's Aug. 5 intrasquad scrimmage, but Del Rio said the team hopes Taylor can participate in practices in pads the week leading up to the preseason opener on Saturday, Aug. 13 at home against Miami.
<MCC PHOTOTABLE><TABLE class=instorypicture2table width=182 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>http://www.times-union.com/images/071505/81695_200.jpg (http://www.times-union.com/images/071505/81695_400.jpg) </TD></TR><TR><TD>Henry
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></MCC PHOTOTABLE>"We'll open camp with Fred, but we'll practice him once a day and it'll be in shorts," Del Rio said in the statement. "We'll monitor him during that first week. We want to see his strength continue to improve."
Taylor shrugged off questions about his status in an interview last week.
"I'm going to be fine," he said. "You just wait and see. I'm going to be just fine."
The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Henry, who is from Frostproof and now lives in Orlando, has rushed for 3,849 yards (with a 4.0-yard average) and 27 touchdowns in four seasons. He is being shopped by the Bills after losing his starting job to Willis McGahee last season. Henry demanded a trade because he didn't want to be McGahee's backup. The Jaguars have discussed a trade for Henry for much of the offseason, showing interest in him along with Tennessee and Seattle. The stumbling blocks to a deal have been compensation to the Bills and the necessity of signing Henry to a contract extension.
> http://www.times-union.com/tu-online/stories/071505/jag_19246509.shtml
<MCC SUBHEAD>Team reports encouraging news on Taylor, but trade talks still heat up for Buffalo back. </MCC SUBHEAD>
<MCC BYLINE1>By BART HUBBUCH</MCC BYLINE1>, <MCC BYLINE2>The Times-Union </MCC BYLINE2>
<MCC STORY>Acknowledging their concerns about Fred Taylor's availability this season, the Jaguars are close to completing a long-discussed trade for Buffalo Bills running back Travis Henry.
<!-- BEGIN AD TABLE--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=300 align=left border=0 VALIGN="top" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=300><!-- ADVERTISEMENT -->
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--OAS_AD('Middle');//--></SCRIPT>http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/800/14845/0/oasc04.247realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/default/empty.gif (http://ads.jacksonville.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/jaguars.jacksonville.com/stories/1186295307/Middle/default/empty.gif/64383862616630613432643836366330?) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- END AD TABLE -->Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said Thursday in a statement released by the team that a deal for Henry, a Pro Bowl selection in 2003, could be completed "in the next few days or week."
"The fact that we have an opportunity to acquire a running back of this kind of talent is something we have to look at so we're looking at it,'' Del Rio said in the statement. "This may or may not happen, but we're protecting our interests, and any time we think we can acquire somebody who can help us, we're going to do that."
The Jaguars are pursuing Henry, who at 26 is nearly three years younger than Taylor, despite what Del Rio described as an encouraging workout by Taylor earlier this week.
Taylor has been sidelined all offseason by surgery in January to repair two ligaments in his left knee that were damaged in the Jaguars' Dec. 19 victory at Green Bay, an injury that caused him to miss the final two games.
Taylor's workout prompted Del Rio to say the eight-year veteran would participate in one practice per day for at least the first week of training camp, which begins Friday, July 29. Taylor will be held out of the team's Aug. 5 intrasquad scrimmage, but Del Rio said the team hopes Taylor can participate in practices in pads the week leading up to the preseason opener on Saturday, Aug. 13 at home against Miami.
<MCC PHOTOTABLE><TABLE class=instorypicture2table width=182 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>http://www.times-union.com/images/071505/81695_200.jpg (http://www.times-union.com/images/071505/81695_400.jpg) </TD></TR><TR><TD>Henry
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></MCC PHOTOTABLE>"We'll open camp with Fred, but we'll practice him once a day and it'll be in shorts," Del Rio said in the statement. "We'll monitor him during that first week. We want to see his strength continue to improve."
Taylor shrugged off questions about his status in an interview last week.
"I'm going to be fine," he said. "You just wait and see. I'm going to be just fine."
The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Henry, who is from Frostproof and now lives in Orlando, has rushed for 3,849 yards (with a 4.0-yard average) and 27 touchdowns in four seasons. He is being shopped by the Bills after losing his starting job to Willis McGahee last season. Henry demanded a trade because he didn't want to be McGahee's backup. The Jaguars have discussed a trade for Henry for much of the offseason, showing interest in him along with Tennessee and Seattle. The stumbling blocks to a deal have been compensation to the Bills and the necessity of signing Henry to a contract extension.
> http://www.times-union.com/tu-online/stories/071505/jag_19246509.shtml