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Travis Henry Wants To Stay, 'Make It Right' In Denver


Henry WANTS to return in 2008
The Broncos have two huge questions to answer about a couple vets that are set to earn huge bonuses in a couple months.  Javon Walker, for his part, decided to take the low road, saying immediately after the season was over that he wanted out, that Denver "wasn't for him".  While he backed off those comments somewhat, he is still paying the price in the court of public opinion for opening his yapper.

Travis Henry, on the other hand, has stayed relatively quiet since having as many carries as me in the season finale against the Vikings.  The Broncos owe Henry around $6 Million in bonus money, money Henry has no chance to see.

Henry finally did speak out about the past, as well as his future in The Denver Post -

"I want to make it right to the Broncos, the fans and myself," Henry said. "I want to be a Bronco and make it all right. I don't want to be anywhere else. I owe those people something for all that happened last year. I want to clear my name there. I'm so hungry to do right there."

What bothers Henry most about his first season in Denver and seventh in the league was that it all started so well before imploding. After the first four games, Henry led the NFL in rushing and looked the part of the tailback the Broncos made a priority in free agency and spent $22.5 million over five years to obtain.

"It was my toughest season," Henry said. "It was a big distraction for everyone, and then I started getting hurt. It was just a bad season all around."

"All this stuff about my kids came out, and that hurt," Henry said. "I just want to forget about this season and be the best I can be for the Denver Broncos. I really want to make it work for the Broncos. I love that system and that history, and I know I can do well there. I just want that chance."

While there is a chance Henry could be a salary cap casualty in the next month, the team would like to keep him because he is a bruising back, and he would complement the faster, younger but injury-prone Selvin Young. Henry said he is keeping out of the financial affairs, but it is clear he wants to return.

"I'm already back in Denver working out," Henry said.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Broncos would like to keep Henry, at the right price.  By stating at the end of the season that Selvin Young is not a guy you can give the ball to 25 times a game, Shanny left the door open for a Henry return, and now it seems Henry is ready to do the right thing, earn his respect and money.

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Henry
Here is a guy who has made a lot of mistakes, but has a chance to prove himself.

He looked awesome before the injuries, and managed to keep himself clean this year.  On the other hand, an errant drug test and injuries may have given him a unearned black eye in the scheme of things.  He seems to regret the news breaking out about his children, but I don't know what kind of father he has been (in terms of child support and time with those children).  He does sound sincere about "making things right".

From a purely on field point of view I hope Henry comes back.  Young is NOT an everydown back, and neither is Hall.  The two of them together would not solve things either, as neither is a bruising, power specialist.

Walker would make life a lot simpler for Denver if he returns.  As has been pointed out, Stokely is not an every down starter, and I would like to see someone taking the pressure off of Marshall (or Marshall taking pressure off of Walker).  If Walker doesn't return we have more voids to fill on the team.  If Walker returns we can focus on a few key needs on defense.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Jan 29, 2008 7:20 AM MST reply actions   0 recs

Henry should return...
only if he takes a pay cut and signs an incentive laden contract.  If he hits his goals, he gets paid...if not, he doesn't.  I would also include if it is not there already, if Henry tests a true positive drug test, he's gone and there is no money owed.
Hopeful for a much better 2008!

by mdierk on Jan 29, 2008 8:47 AM MST reply actions   0 recs

Good Plan
I think Henry would go for it too, if he really is serious about "clearing his name".  I'll agree with him though, he really just seemed to have bad luck this year.  He looked awesome the first four games, and if he could play like that next year, it would do wonders for reviving the vaunted Denver offense.

by hai17 on Jan 29, 2008 10:02 AM MST up reply actions   0 recs

You nailed it
That's exactly right: pay for play. He currently has a drug-free clause in his contract and there's no doubt that would be added if they renegged with him. That'll be with him no matter where he goes, I'm sure.
Or so I'm told.

by MN Bronco on Jan 29, 2008 12:26 PM MST up reply actions   0 recs

T-Henry
No question he'll take a pay cut. He sounds like he already has agreed to one, and it's being negotiated right now.  He wouldn't do well on the open market after his 2 big question marks (drugs and injuries) both popped up in a big way this season.

I still think Denver drafts a back somewhere between 2nd and 5 round.  Getting Henry back (cheaper) with Young (cheap) and Hall (very cheap) for 2008 is a much better spot than the Broncos were in going into both the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

The red zone issue is Denver's biggest problem on offense and I have to blame the O-line more than the backs, but Denver obviously needs to change it's red-zone gameplan for 2008. How many years in a row has Denver had trouble in the red-zone?

by super7 on Jan 29, 2008 12:49 PM MST reply actions   0 recs

red-zone
I agree with super7...except for drafting a a back in rounds 2-5.
Red Zone efficiency is a major problem...And I have contended before that the o-line MUST get better.  I hope Rich Tuten(strength and conditioning coordinator) gets those guys bigger,faster,stronger.  And not just o-line but d-line as well.

by tbone on Jan 29, 2008 1:28 PM MST reply actions   0 recs

Sauerbrun
Or maybe Henry goes the way of Sauerbrun.  Todd also thought he had something to prove.

I'm just saying, Henry was great in the first four games, and the rest of the season was a mess.

I look forward to him starting fresh.  The mans needs it.  But that doesn't change the fact that this bruising-style RB with a recent history injuries turns 29 next October (right?).  

It's now or never, Henry.  Here's to hoping the he looks great in camp, which I expect.

by jvill on Jan 29, 2008 9:41 PM MST reply actions   0 recs

It is wrong to criticize him for his personal
relationships.  As Pat Bowlen said, personal affairs are just that, personal.  If he has wronged the mothers then there is no doubt that they will or have sought remedies in civil court.  If his personal life impacts his market appeal, that is an issue for his agent to work on, I doubt that the Broncos as a marketing entity are negatively impacted by Henry's personal decisions.  

As long as he can be a hard charging power back the management should try to keep him on the team.

by Arctic Bronco on Jan 29, 2008 10:33 PM MST reply actions   0 recs

My 2 cents
I agree.  I think it's ok to look at personal issues before the guy is signed to help determine if he might be a problem down the road.  But once we sign him, as long as he doesn't mess up, his past shouldn't matter.

Henry has stayed straight since we signed him, so injuries are really the only deal to debate (in my opinion).  Everyone can get injured.  As good as henry is, I am in favor of hanging on to him.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Jan 30, 2008 1:38 AM MST up reply actions   0 recs

Henry's contract
I am not 100% sure of the exact details since part of his original signing bonus was not paid in 2007 due to his suspension/appeal.  But I think that he is owed $6 million in the offseason in various bonuses and will have a base salary of $720,000 in 2008.  This presents an interesting quandsry for all sides.  The advantage of signing/option bonuses is that they get prorated for salary cap purposes over the life of the contract (in this case it would be $1.5 million for each of the 4 remaining years on the contract).  Incentives count against the cap all in a single year (either the year they are earned or the following season, depending on the details of the incentive).  So I don't think the Broncos would want to turn the entire bonus into incentives, but they obviously don't want to pay out $6 million based on the way the last season went.

Other than converting the bonus to incentives, the Broncos could try to move its due date back.  They could restructure the deal so that there was an option bonus due during the season (say December 2008).  Either Denver pays the bonus (which I think would be prorated over 4 years [2008-2011]) or Henry becomes a free agent after the season.  The problem with that is that it could become an in-season distraction.  The better move for Denver would be to push the bonus back until the next offseason when it would be prorated over the last three years of the deal.  

Henry seems to understand the situation so he will probably be willing to make concessions to stay with Denver.  At the same time, I am assuming that Henry is willing to move money around, but is not willing to decrease the total potential value of the contract.  I am thinking Denver will move $4.5 million in bonus money to next offseason (where it will be prorated at $1.5 million a year which is the same as his current contract).  The remaining $1.5 million in bonuses will be converted to some combination of base salary for 2008 or roster/playing time incentives that Henry should reach if he stays healthy and out of trouble (and which would count against the 2008 cap)  

by MattR on Jan 30, 2008 12:56 AM MST reply actions   0 recs

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