Bucs eye unhappy Bills RB

A deal for Travis Henry, who lost his starting job, could change the club's draft focus.

By ROGER MILLS
Published April 15, 2005

TAMPA - Looking at a draft board with at least three top-level running backs, the Bucs could take one with the fifth overall pick.

Then again, they may get one via trade.

General manager Bruce Allen said he contacted the Bills on Wednesday about the possibility of acquiring running back Travis Henry, who has one year left on his contract but wants out of Buffalo.

"I spoke to the Bills," Allen said Thursday, careful not to elaborate.

Although the Bucs likely will speak to a number of teams over the next seven days, the possibility of acquiring Henry, a 5-foot-9, 215-pounder who has two 1,000-yard campaigns in four seasons, could seriously alter their approach on draft day April 23.

Should the Bucs pull off a trade, which likely wouldn't happen until next week, they could turn their attention to the two highly rated receivers, USC's Mike Williams or Michigan's Braylon Edwards, or can trade up to get either Utah quarterback Alex Smith or California quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Henry's agent, Hadley Engelhard, said he has had a discussion with the Bucs and anticipates further conversation.

"We have had dialogue, and will continue to talk," Engelhard said Thursday. "There are several teams that would be a good fit for Travis."

The Bills' asking price is unclear, though they have reportedly asked for a second-round pick.

Henry, who missed six games last season because of injury, became expendable with the emergence of second-year player Willis McGahee, the former Miami Hurricane.

In 10 games, Henry rushed for 326 yards on 94 carries and added 10 catches for 45 yards. While Henry was hurt, McGahee took advantage, finishing with 1,128 yards on 284 carries, adding 13 touchdowns.

Due to earn $1.25-million this season, Henry made it clear at the end of 2004 that he wanted out of Buffalo.

"I am definitely not going back to Buffalo, if that's what you want to hear," he told the Associated Press in late March. "No minicamps. No training camps. Nothing. I packed my stuff and left. As soon as the season was over, I was out of there and I didn't have any plans of coming back."

Acquiring Henry wouldn't be too problematic because he could play under the current deal with the understanding he'd work out a new one down the line.

Since the Bills gave Henry, 26, permission to seek a trade, he has been the subject of multiple rumors.

At one point, the Cardinals were considered the front-runners as the teams were working out a deal that would send tackle L.J. Shelton to the Bills.

But the Bills have indicated that a player-for-player swap may not be enough.

"We are not interested in that," general manager Tom Donahoe said this week. "We will listen. We will see what happens over the next (week). If it happens, great. If it doesn't happen, Travis has a contract to play for the Buffalo Bills."

That trade with the Cardinals seemed dead until this week, when Cardinals coach Dennis Green told the Arizona Republic the deal had "a heartbeat."

This might help explain the Bucs' interest in finding out the market for Henry, a former second-round pick from Tennessee.

A Frostproof native who lives in Orlando, Henry has said he'd be interested in playing for the Bucs.

The Bucs running game has struggled. They finished 24th in 2003 and 29th in 2004 in rushing offense and haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Warrick Dunn's 1,133 in 2000.

When healthy, Henry has put up impressive numbers for the Bills. In 13 games as a rookie out of Tennessee, he had 729 yards on 213 carries with four touchdowns. In 2002, he rushed for 1,438 yards and 13 TDs and followed with 1,356 yards and 10 TDs in 2003.

-Times staff writer Rick Stroud contributed to this report, which used information from other news organizations.

[Last modified April 15, 2005, 00:49:17]