Now that he’s retired and all, the Packers are sending Brett Favre his locker as a career keepsake.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking? I’m wondering, now that Travis Henry is gone, if the Broncos will send him his specimen cup.
Mike Shanahan didn’t just show Henry the door. He sent out a press release questioning Henry’s commitment. If only he had done that a year ago. While he was at it, Shanahan could have questioned Henry’s character and common sense, too.
Let Henry’s exit serve as a symbol, as a reminder of all that’s wrong with NFL free agency. Let him be the last problem child Shanahan signs. Enough already with the Dale Carters, Daryl Gardeners and Henrys of the world.
Not that Henry wasn’t a talent. In the end, that was the problem. He was so talented, so tantalizing, Shanahan rationalized signing him despite all the red flags. Sure, he was leading the league in rushing four games into the 2007 season, but Henry always was an injury, a paternity suit or a positive drug test waiting to happen.
But he wasn’t the biggest story of the day on Monday.
Selvin Young. There’s your story. By the time Henry left, he had been reduced to a guy who was getting a look-see, and only because he agreed to a huge pay cut.
Young? Henry’s departure tells us all we need to know about Shanahan’s confidence in the second-year tailback. If he weren’t so confident in him, Shanahan might have hauled Henry into his office for another stern lecture and given him yet another chance.
It’s Young’s job to lose – Young’s and only Young’s. Yes, stuff happens in the Broncos’ backfield. Just because you’re the starter in training camp doesn’t mean you’ll stay there. But that’s the plan.
Monday’s announcement came just after I had talked at length with Shanahan about the big picture at tailback. Two things came through loud and clear during the interview. First, Shanahan is sky high on Young. Second, Henry was yesterday’s news. He was going to be given a chance, but only if he toed the company line.
Shanahan once said Young was too small to handle a steady workload at tailback. But that viewpoint has changed. Young’s workout-warrior routine has helped him increase his weight to 212 pounds from 207, engendering hope that he can carry the ball 20-25 times a game.
Unlike Henry, Young gets it. He knows the history of the tailback position in Denver. He doesn’t just want to be the flavor of the month at the position. He wants to be a star. He wants to run for 2,000 yards this season. He wants to be back there for years to come.
Said Young, “I feel like, if I come out here and take care of business, I’m talented enough to be the guy for this team and lead this team for years and years and years.”
It remains to be seen if Young can withstand the test of time, but, when it comes to assessing his talent, his coach agrees with him.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s daily sports commentaries on The Jimmy Page midday during the week. And read his columns on Sundays at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
