Sad to see Travis go....

[Hardy Pyle]

I hope he goes on to have a very productive career. Heck of a running back in my opinion.

[EZC-Boston]

Totally agree. Good luck T-Henry.

[ganesh]

I hope he goes on to have a very productive career. Heck of a running back in my opinion.

385029[/snapback]

 

But I hope he fails whenever he plays against us......I ahte to see another

RB after Antowain Smith kepth repeatedly pummelling as playing for the

patriots 3 straight years.....

[Thailog80]

Totally agree.  Good luck T-Henry.

385032[/snapback]

 

Good Luck TH.

 

Now watch willis go for 2k.

[Dennis in NC]

I hope McNair can still dodge the pass rusher Travis was supposed to block.

 

Sure, Travis could carry the ball, but there are several other RB duties at which he performed very poorly.

 

I'm happy to see him go. I'm sure Ma Henry still thinks Travis is a better RB than Willis.

 

Good luck to the "bowling ball with knives sticking out of it", as some tacklers described him a few years back.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I hope McNair can still dodge the pass rusher Travis was supposed to block.

 

Sure, Travis could carry the ball, but there are several other RB duties at which he performed very poorly.

 

I'm happy to see him go.  I'm sure Ma Henry still thinks Travis is a better RB than Willis.

 

Good luck to the "bowling ball with knives sticking out of it", as some tacklers described him a few years back.

385307[/snapback]

 

TH has several clear tasks:

 

1, Show that he was the very effective runner he was in 2002 and 2003 and show that his lackluster performance in yards and dismal performance in the red-zone in 2004 were caused by his perception that the Bills had given up on him when they took WM and when it became clear in practice WM was the better RB.

 

2. Demonstrate the same quality he showed as a pass catcher when he took in 43 receptions in 2002. Like most players, Henry has had his share of notable drops, but due to the predictability of our 2003 Kevin Killdrive O, and a lack of short touch by Bledsoe he did not produce as he had produced the year before when the Killdrive O made better use of him as a receiving threat.

 

Clearly Henry will never be another Marshall Faulk or Thurman in terms of RB receiving, but his lack of production in 2003 allowed many observers who over-focus on high profile drops to let them forget the 02 real world results TH put up and treat those miscues as his whole story and ability as a receiver. It will not take a lot of achievement on his part or results he has not already accomplished for him to once again be the receiving threat TN needs and makes him a better rusher as well.

 

3. Henry like most rookies had a horrid time with blitz-pick-up as a rookie, but like most he solved these problems such that it was not a major complaint or worry of Bills' partisans in 2002 and even 2003.

 

The TH is lousy at blitz-pick-up drumbeat emerged again in 2004 seemingly less because of any specific events anyone can point to (if there are a lot of specific events and they should be easy to find or remember something if he was in fact so bad at blitz pick-up) specific examples, please educate us (I suspect that any noise about this will be that of crickets chirping). TH did show some issues with doing the right thing on plays, but this seemed to me to be more like the play where TH and Bledsoe went different ways against NE and the resulting sack led to a Bledsoe fumble and TD run by Seymour (it is this type of specific that those who claim blitz-pick-up issues should be able to point to if they are to be taken seriously with this complaint) or on the option pass attempt against Miami where TH threw an INT as he and the WR were doing different things and the hand-off was less thn smooth, or even in general (take this one with a grain of salt like complaints about blitz pick-up because I do not remember specific plays) because the lack of effective FB running by the Bills and the failure of WM/TH to make the 2 RB set work indicates that IF there is a TH blocking problem it is more likely with him never showing good blocking in run support rather than the relatively insubstantiated blitz pick-up complaint.

 

My guess (it is only a guess because examples do not stand out for this Bills' watcher) is that TH probably did a lousy job on some blitz pick-up at sometime in 2003 or his brief appearances in 2004. However, I do not believe these issues ever caused us to lose 7 or 3 points or caused a fumble due to a TH blocking miss. Please educate me if I am wrong about this (though I suspect this will produce only the usual fact-free opinions.

 

4. TH really needs to step it up on ST. Unitl he gets a shot due to the likely injuries to Brown, TH is going to need to prove himself through ST play. As a fearure back and then injury victim he never had to do this, but if he plans to change his rep from Bills bashee to loved on for TN, ST is where it is likely to happen for him.

 

As this was not part of his Bills game I do not know what that will look like for him.

[TNBillFan]

I was very happy for the Bills to be able to draft Travis Henry after he left Tennessee and I think, by and large, he did a fine job in Buffalo. The blitz beef and his alleged fumble problems were, in my opinion, nothing more than the overstated harping of generally unhappy fans. He was a young back forced into pro action too early in a system that was becoming more and more predictable because of the quarterback's shortcomings. He improved every year in his techniques and he was a warrior who played hard and played hurt. In candor, I think Willis is a more gifted athlete (than all but a handfull of NFL backs--TH included) and, given his absolutely amazing recovery, Henry's demotion was inevitable. Nevertheless, I wish TH good luck in his future (except against the Bills, of course) and I will miss having one of my favorite college players playing on my favorite pro team.

[Bob in SC]

Thnks. TH, and best of luck. You always gave your best.

[SACKMARINO]

most def. Travis was a true team player and always gave 100% even played injured.

 

im gonna miss him and also seeing his mom at all the games.

 

good luck T-Hen...

[Dennis in NC]

The TH is lousy at blitz-pick-up drumbeat emerged again in 2004 seemingly less because of any specific events anyone can point to (if there are a lot of specific events and they should be easy to find or remember something if he was in fact so bad at blitz pick-up) specific examples, please educate us (I suspect that any noise about this will be that of crickets chirping). 

 

4. TH really needs to step it up on ST. 

 

As this was not part of his Bills game I do not know what that will look like for him.

385333[/snapback]

The glaring example of non-blitz pickup was during one of his brief 2004 appearances. It seemed like a trend whenever he played, but maybe it was a few glaring times. I think mostly he just did not give a damn anymore.

 

Henry on ST?! I can imagine a "it's not my job" attitude on his part, but maybe they won't even ask him to do that task.

 

I liked Travis (heck, I even named my car after him back in 2001), but his total mental collapse when faced with competition by someone obviously better was just too much to stomach.

 

When Tom Donahoe said it (trading TH) was like giving birth, how many of us understood what he meant?

[kasper13]

Why are there 10 Travis Henry posts on the front page? Jesus Christ. He was a whiner and a big crybaby. He was hurt all the time. He fumbled too much. He had two good years when we were not even close to the playoffs. He did not want to play here anymore and tuned his back on the team for his own selfish reason- A CONTRACT EXTENSION and MORE MONEY. Can't make big bucks being a backup. We have Willis McGahee. Good bye and good freakin riddance TH.

[TNBillFan]

Why are there 10 Travis Henry posts on the front page? Jesus Christ. He was a whiner and a big crybaby. He was hurt all the time. He fumbled too much. He had two good years when we were not even close to the playoffs. He did not want to play here anymore and tuned his back on the team for his own selfish reason- A CONTRACT EXTENSION and MORE MONEY. Can't make big bucks being a backup. We have Willis McGahee. Good bye and good freakin riddance TH.

385783[/snapback]

I hope you remember this post when McGahee's contract comes up. We'll see if you think he's a whiner and a big crybaby, too, when he tries to break the Bill's bank---and he will. If he stays healthy, Rosenhaus and Willis will have a field day with the Bills at renewal time. More likely, he will want out of Buffalo for a major market and even bigger bucks.

 

Henry, on the other hand, wanted to play for the Bills ever since he broke Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing record in Florida high school. He talked about Buffalo when he was at Tennessee, running ahead of Jamal Lewis. Being drafted by the Bills was his football dream come true. Henry got hurt because he played hard, and he didn't stop playing because of it. How many other NFL running backs of the modern era played with a broken pinky finger, much less than a broken leg bone? He clearly fixed the fumble issue (except in the mind of mindless harpies who wouldn't acknowledge any plus for this kid) and he had two great, not good, great years considering the line he was running behind.

 

I agree McGahee's the more gifted athlete and I'd have given him the #1 spot, too, if he was on my roster. I also think getting him when the Bills did was a great success---but I believe it is short term. I don't think he and his agent will be cut from the mold of Thomas, Reed, Moulds, Kelly,etc. who were essentially career-long Bills. Henry wanted to be in Buffalo and someday soon, I bet someone will suggest on this board that a long-term, motivated Henry in Buffalo would have beat McGahee's "passing through" town on his way to the big bucks in NY, Dallas or wherever his money guy directs him next.