What I think the Bills should aim for at RB

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

Cliff notes begin: TH and WM will profit most as athletes getting rings and as people getting more money than they have ever seen if they actually learn to play well together and co-exist as Bills. The only reason to forego this sports glory and big bucks is selfishness if they insist on being the #1 RB alone for their team. MM has all sorts of opportunities right now to try to manage things to make this happen even if selfishness makes this outcome remote. Both players are under contract for this year and next and for the Bills sake he should resist being pushed by the soap opera folks who want 1 and only 1 star and try to make a 2 RB deal work. There is history from last year's Carolina team to the perfect Dolphins of the 70s who successfully shared the rick among three RB of this happening. Cliff Notes end

 

 

 

It seems to me the goal for the Bills at RB should be pretty clear. Have two productive RBs (in case of injury and to run a teo RB attack from time to time) at a cost which is manageable within the cap.

 

The Bills seem to have that right now (rejoice everyone!) and contractually can even have that next year without signing anyone to a new contract.

 

Unfortunately, this is where reality and the soap opera sets in. The reality is that every athlete wants to make as much money as he can during his short career and who can really blame them for that (afterall, in terms of taking care of family if and when they marry or simply letting Mom and/or Dad live retirement in total luxury if they choose who would argue with that in addition if they are selfish athletic pride means they want to play well and money comes along with that).

 

The soap opera is that we fans have little brains and the idea of having tow heroes at RB seems to be too much for many fans who want one and only one guy to be the top dog.

 

The reality is also that the conventional wisdom of an RB needing as many touches as he can get to try to establish himself so he can finally bust out as WM did last week after a bleak start (3.2 ypc through 20 or so rushes until he hit the 31 yarder) seems to generally be the rule in the NFL.

 

However, this we must have 1 RB rule is clearly breakable in the NFL and good things do result from having 2 RBs. Carolina is but the most recent example where they have found a way to keep both Stephen Davis and DeShaun foster going and this paid off with an SB berth last year. The cadillac move in NFL history is that the perfect Dolphins of the 70s somehow found a way to share the ball between 3RBs (Csonka, Kiick and Morris) and have all of them be happy and the payoff was a perfect record.

 

At any rate, the Bills and Mularkey probably will not be able to pull off the trick sharing the rock between Henry and WM, but it seems to me by far to be the best thing for the Bills for them to try. It ain't over until it is over, but the playoffs seem doubtful this year so I think the team has little to lose by trying to makea shared relationship work.

 

The potential for injury and the two RBs in question being encouraged to be class acts and TEAM players are keys for this to work. WM knows better than anyone how quickly football injury can change your life and he has gooten through hard work and good representation a second chance with beaucoup bucks. Henry is the player suffering from injury and potential dethroning right now. His poor fiscal management has already led him to trade freedom/time for a few bucks. Even under the best of conditions he has to survive using his running style for 25 more games before he even gets a shot at a new big deal. Even this chance is dicey since he will go into it with some tough years on his body and controversy this year and potentially next.

 

The other good news for the Bills is that QB Bledsoe (despite complaints about his most recent output or lack thereof) really is a shining example of being a TEAM player and having it pay off for him bigtime. A younger guy took his job with no complaints for him about his ego being bruised. He has a new extension and big bucks on his old big buck contract and a career which boasts and SB appearance and SB win he played essential roles in making happen. One of his buddies Lawyer Milloy is now fellow teammate of WM and TH and provides another living example of big bucks and rings coming to a player who took the high road and simply honored his contract.

 

If I'm MM, I think by far the best thing for the Bills is for him to try to work this year toward finding a way to make use of both TH and WM. He must foster a positive relationship between the two where they pull off the Sayers/Piccollo number. They were two thousand yard rushers in the same backfield. The Bills will have to find a new way to pull this off since I see no signs of WM and TH becoming best buddies off the field and I hope neither dies of cancer. However, both stand great potential to profit financially and as athletes from being good teammates who share the RB load which is bigger than 1 man.

 

Overall, it will likely be simple selfishness and egotism which will be their downfall. Is the main reason why two # 1 RBs cannot exist on the same team. Clearly in terms of the sport having two RBs who share the role would be the berst thing to have. Injuries simply happen so often in the NFL that in any given week will be like last week where both are judged healthy but clearly only one of them is going to get the bulk of if not all the carries. In terms of money, both also stand to maximize their personal profit by sharing the RB role. At this point, I think it is pretty doubtful given Henry's running style that he is actually going to get a worldbeater contract a year and a half from now. I think financially a bird in the hand would actually have him do another extension as he did before with TD after this season. Assuming he comes back from this injury, TD would be foolish not to extend hima few years at a nice payoff which is cap manageable as long as TH/WM work well together.

 

The same is true for WM as after this contract, he has one big one he has a reasonal shot at getting and it 2 and a half years away. If he shares duty with TH, he will not only be able to rehab at whatever rate is good for him, but he also will increase his chances of even surviving for two contracts. Most likely TH will probably go down with his running style and WM will get the chance to showcase himself as his FA time is coming near.

 

This is unlikely unfortunately because selfishness seems to rule America these days. However, it is clear from the Pats winning example that being a good teammate is the wayto win rings. Also one passes at the chance to earn the biggest contract by playing well with others, yet TH and WM can esily have more money than they have ever seen by playing well together as Bills.

 

It seems to me most Bills fans should agree.

[Albany,n.y.]

I can't see Travis here beyond this season because he is scheduled to be a free agent after 2005 & I can't see any responsible agent telling him to sign an extension with the Bills. From the Bills point of view, they have to trade him this offseason in order to get anything back for him. From TH's part, any trade would include a contract extension at #1 RB $. He's more likely to be playing next season with a nice signing bonus in his pocket from his new team.

[njsue]

Travis Henry is the starter for this year and years to come. He is a work horse.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I can't see Travis here beyond this season because he is scheduled to be a free agent after 2005 & I can't see any responsible agent telling him to sign an extension with the Bills.  From the Bills point of view, they have to trade him this offseason in order to get anything back for him.  From TH's part, any trade would include a contract extension at #1 RB $.  He's more likely to be playing next season with a nice signing bonus in his pocket from his new team.

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I also doubt that Henry will be a Bill next year. The question I'm trying to get at is what should the Bills do right here and right now about this situation. I think those who advocate start WM tomorrow and becnh henry even if TH is healthy are advocating a stance that makes sense for the good of the Bills.

 

I think by far the thing which makes sense for MM to try to do is to start Henry (assuming he is physically able) and to attempt to get him back to the level of production he has had the last two years and preferably (though with great difficulty unfortunately given the selfishness prevalent in today's world) try to create an offense where these 2 RBs perform productively on the field and remain contractually happy campers off the field working together.

 

He has a small but doable chance of pulling off this neat trick:

 

1. Its been done before and is being done right now (the injuries and contracts allow their 2 be 2 #1 quality RBs in Carolina) to the great on the field benefits to the team.

2. Both players are under contract this year and next forcing one of them to take the unlikely route of throwing a hissy fit if WM or TH were to choose not to want to play well together. If either player were to throw such a fit they would:

A. Forgo paychecks right now

B. lessen their long-term value

C. delay or derail their injury recovery

D. run the risk that the other RB plays well and they gain nothing as the Bills sit and wait assuming one of them would be so foolish as to declare war on the Bills and their teammates.

3. As the playoffs are a remote possibility this year, the team has few incentives to pursue some lomhbsll strategy of speeding along WMs recovery at the maximum possible speed at the potential cost of rehabilitating TH's play.

 

In fact, if you view TH as definite trade bait as soon as you get a good offer for him, then the thing to do his to get him to play and produce a good result as soon as you can and then sit him so he is not hurt before you can trade him and resume the rehab of WM.

 

From the Bills point of view I think you play WM or TH as injury to them allows. If they can survive and are potent together, great. If they survive but one must go, fine also but you have to rehab and play TH if you want to command maximum trade value for him.

 

If TH is ready to play this weekend, I see no other choice that is good for the Bills besides starting him whether you want to keep him or to trade him.

[BillnutinHouston]

Willis has superior hands, is a better blocker, and more sure with the football. He runs with more power and is an all-around better football player. If he can stay healthy, he is our future.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

Willis has superior hands, is a better blocker, and more sure with the football.  He runs with more power and is an all-around better football player.  If he can stay healthy, he is our future.

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Correct. And if Willis is your future and Travis is ready to play then you play Travis in the present.

 

If you are banking on WM being your future than the key is to continue your future's slow steady rehab from a horrible knee injury and to raise Henry's trade value so you can get a 1st rounder for him.

 

In terms of the slow steady progress rehabbing WM rushing back in to start after he carried the ball for the first time more than 20 times against NFL talent (and actually one few times he has ever carried the ball more than 20 times ever as he has less history of doing this at Miami than one might expect. He came to prominence later in his college career moving up to takeover as their #1 RB when their starter Gore suffered a grievous injury. He racked up big yardage not because he was a workhorse who got tons of carries but because of his ability to average good yars per carry. Miaimi was also a track school several deep at RB because even with the ore injury they could still give WM a blow rather than force him to carry the ball every down). Seeing how WM recovers from his great performance Sunday seems like the smart thing to do for the long term.

 

In terms of raising TH's value. It would also be foolish to rush him back before he is ready, but if he is ready then its time for him to comeback and avoid any reputation as damaged goods.

 

If TH is physically ready, starting him this weekend is the smart thing to do whether you want him to remain a Bill as our #1, remain a Bill as co-$1 RBs, or trade him away for maximum value.