On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love said to me, “Who the heck is the Broncos’ starting tailback?”
Beats me.
At the moment, it appears to be Selvin Young. But then, if Mike Shanahan has shown us anything through the years, it’s this: When it comes to the depth chart at tailback, appearances can be deceiving.
Forget month to month or year to year. The identity of the Broncos’ go-to back can be a day-to-day proposition. To wit:
One day, in 1995, Glyn Milburn was the starter. The next day, some sixth-rounder named Terrell Davis was sitting on top of the depth chart.
One day in 2004, Quentin Griffin was the No. 1 guy. The next day a journeyman fullback named Reuben Droughns was running the rock.
One day in 2006, Tatum Bell was the guy. The next day an undrafted rookie, Mike Bell, was the starter.
The years change, but the scenario remains the same. With Shanahan, it doesn’t matter where — or, in the cases of Mike Bell and Young, if — you were drafted. The hot hand plays. The most productive guy gets the most carries.
Question is, will Travis Henry ever be that guy again? When healthy, Henry is a talented player, but he comes with several strings attached.
In the end, his off-field issues will cost Henry a lot of money. Why? Because precious few, if any, other NFL teams would be willing to sign him if the Broncos cut him in the offseason. And given the way his contract is structured, they could do it without taking a major salary-cap hit.
Thus, he figures to play next season for the Broncos’ price or risk not playing at all. Playing hardball with Henry wasn’t an option a month into the season, when he had reeled off three 100-yard games. But it is now that Young has shown he’s more than a change-of-pace back.
So who will be the starter next season? It could be neither of the above. This is Shanahan we’re talking about. For all we know, the next Selvin Young is out there ready to go from virtual anonymity to the Broncos’ starting backfield.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s daily Broncos commentaries on The Jimmy Page at 7 a.m. and noon, and read his columns on Sundays and the day after Broncos games at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
