124 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 RB won't accept backup role, willing to sit ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Travis Henry is through playing for the Buffalo Bills, intent to sit out as long as it takes the team to trade him. "I'm definitely not going back to Buffalo if that's what you want to hear," the running back told The Associated Press on Monday from his home in Orlando, Fla. "No minicamps. No training camp. No nothing. ... I packed my stuff and left. As soon as the season was over, I was out of there and I didn't have any plans of coming back." Henry, who started during his first three seasons in Buffalo, has one year left on his contract and is unwilling to spend another year as Willis McGahee's backup. The Bills granted Henry permission in January to speak to other teams about a potential trade. Of the teams that expressed interest, Henry said the Arizona Cardinals have offered to trade starting left tackle L.J. Shelton in a player-for-player deal. Henry doesn't understand why the Bills -- in need of offensive line help -- haven't accepted the offer. Henry added he's willing to play for Arizona, a team in need of a starting running back since Emmitt Smith's retirement last month. "The whole situation, it's really frustrating," Henry said. "I just want to move on with my life and my career." Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold declined comment. Cardinals officials were at the NFL owners meetings in Hawaii, and unavailable for comment. Bills president Tom Donahoe addressed the Henry trade issue in a question and answer session on the team's Web site last week, writing that he's seeking fair value in return for Henry. "At the present time, there is not enough interest to make a trade," Donahoe wrote. "And if things continue in that vein, we would expect to have Travis back again next year." Henry believes the Shelton trade would help both teams, considering the Bills lost three offensive linemen to free agency earlier this month, including starting left tackle Jonas Jennings, who has since signed with San Francisco. "They said they weren't just going to let me go. I understand that," Henry said. "But here's a win-win situation. ... Arizona has shown interest. They've shown they're ready to pull the trigger. And Donahoe is taking his poor little precious time for some reason." Henry had been the Bills starter since the team selected him in the second round of the 2001 draft out of Tennessee. He put together consecutive 1,300-yard seasons before losing the job to McGahee last October. Henry finished with 326 yards rushing last year and missed the final five games with torn ligaments in his right ankle. Shelton, a first-round pick in 1999, has started 77 games. Falling out of favor with Cardinals' first-year coach Dennis Green last season, Shelton had only nine starts and missed the final three games with a left knee injury. Shelton, who has the Cardinals permission to seek a trade, visited the Bills last month. He has four more years left on his contract that will pay him $3 million a season -- very affordable for a Bills team that has little room left under the salary cap. What frustrates Henry is that the Bills knew this running back dispute could arise when they drafted McGahee. And Henry thought he was being a team player when he didn't reveal his frustrations after he was demoted last season. "It was tough for me being in the locker room last year," Henry said. "I didn't make a big deal out of everything that was happening. I didn't understand it, but I dealt with it." What bothers Henry even more is how the Bills granted Drew Bledsoe's request to be released last month after the starting quarterback was unwilling to accept a secondary role behind J.P. Losman. Bledsoe has since signed with Dallas. "He wasn't going to be a backup and I ain't going to be no backup," Henry said. "They shipped Drew out of there. I want to be shipped out of there, point blank." Also on Monday, the Bills re-signed backup running back Joe Burns. Mostly used on special teams, Burns had 20 carries for 73 yards last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I can see why he wants to leave. But he doesn't have much of a case. That was a totally different team once Henry sat the bench. They were SCARY at the end of last year they were so hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 can ya blame him? Henry has rushed for over 1,500 yards has he not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 can ya blame him? Henry has rushed for over 1,500 yards has he not? No but he did break 1,400 yards in his first year with Buffalo I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Travis Henry thinks that Travis Henry is a top 5 running back that everyone wants. Travis is wrong. If the Bills want to, they can bring him back if they want. Henry has no real say in the matter. If he chooses to sit and refuse to play, well guess what, few will want him when he becomes a free agent. As for a trade, I can't see why a team would want Henry when he will be available on the market next season without giving up anything. Add to that the fact that the RB class in the draft is deeper than usual, and I don't see Arizona giving up a starter-quality OT to bring him in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetCane Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 "Willis McGahee's backup" Other than Jon Vilma, there is no other Cane alum in the league I am more proud of than Willis McG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanDoug Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 How come nobody's suggesting Abe for Travis Henry? Not that I am. d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 How come nobody's suggesting Abe for Travis Henry? Not that I am. d I'd do Abe for Henry, Buffalo's 2nd rounder and their 2006 1st rounder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verde Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 How come nobody's suggesting Abe for Travis Henry? Not that I am. d Swap one headache for another? We have Blaylock as a backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Swap one headache for another? We have Blaylock as a backup. Blaylock is a backup, yes. Now we need a FUTURE REPLACEMENT for Curtis Martin, who may be entering his last season as an EFFECTIVE STARTING RB in this league. After all, there is only so much pounding a running back can take in his career before succumbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verde Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Blaylock is a backup, yes. Now we need a FUTURE REPLACEMENT for Curtis Martin, who may be entering his last season as an EFFECTIVE STARTING RB in this league. After all, there is only so much pounding a running back can take in his career before succumbing. Agreed. but I'd rather draft a future back. Henry would be just as happy here as Lamont was sitting behind CuMart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smizzy Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Newsflash... Travis Henry played on abroken leg for the bills and they treated him like sh*t. Willis McGahee is good but they did Henry dirty in Buffalo. He is a good back and should do well on another team. He's not trash. Henry > Blaylock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Agreed. but I'd rather draft a future back. Henry would be just as happy here as Lamont was sitting behind CuMart. I totally agree, I would much rather prefer a fresh start with, say, a Ryan Moats or Darren Sproles as our future. However, you cannot deny that Travis Henry is still starting-caliber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetgreen13 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 i don't blame him for wanting to get the hell out of BUFF. he's to young & talented to be sitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted March 22, 2005 Author Share Posted March 22, 2005 Travis Henry is still a Top 10 NFL RB in my mind, #10, but still there, give him a starting role in Zona, do the right thing Buffalo and trade him to Zona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlSpackler Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Travis Henry for Patrick Surtain. Bills GM already came out saying he would trade in division if the deal was sweet enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verde Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 However, you cannot deny that Travis Henry is still starting-caliber. Absotively! And that is the reason why he is in this quagmire with the Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Absotively! And that is the reason why he is in this quagmire with the Bills! Well at least here he'd be given a chance to start in no more than 1 season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetCane Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 i don't blame him for wanting to get the hell out of BUFF. he's to young & talented to be sitting. Exactly. Like LaMont, he's good enough to be starting for most, or many teams. The fact that he lost his starting job to a guy coming off reconstructive knee surgery tells you how good WMc is. And I'm afraid we as jet fans will be getting a big dose of Buffalo's running game next year. I also agree with verde's idea of getting a young RB and if Moats or Sproles is available at the right time, we should grab one of 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Bills | Henry Not Looking for New Deal - from www.KFFL.com Tue, 22 Mar 2005 Updating ongoing reports, Mark Gaughan, of the Buffalo News, reports Buffalo Bills disgruntled RB Travis Henry's agent, Hadley Engelhard, denied reports that Henry would be unhappy playing out the one-year remaining on his contract if he is traded to another team and does not receive a new deal in the process. Bills GM Tom Donahoe reiterated the Bills would still likely to deal Henry away. However, thus far, they have not been interested in deals offered to them. The Cardinals are willing to send OT L.J. Shelton to the Bills for Henry head up, which Henry feels would be a win-win situation. The Bills, however, do not appear ready to strike a deal with Arizona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiamiJet Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I think people are seriously underestimatin Derrick Blaylock. When Dick Vermeil compared Blaylock in glowing terms to Priest Holmes, that means much to me. Yes, I know, he was his coach and coaches say stuff like that. Oh really? Did he say the same about Larry Johnson? Yes, we all know how Johson reacted when Vermeil called him out. Vermeil knows backs. He used Marshall Faulk to terrorize the league. He thought Blaylock was similar in ability and thought highly of Holmes. Look how well they played under him. Blaylock is in his prime, and has little, if any wear and tear. He might be our future back. Go ahead and laugh. Laugh now, but remember Priest Holmes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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