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Denver Broncos: Historical look at 5 times team brought in a big-name RB

By Travis Wakeman

Gaston Green runs through a hole during a game against Cleveland on December 8, 1991.
Gaston Green runs through a hole during a game against Cleveland on December 8, 1991. /
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OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 2: Travis Henry #20 of the Denver Broncos scores a touchdown in the first half against the Oakland Raiders during an NFL game at McAfee Coliseum December 2, 2007, in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 2: Travis Henry #20 of the Denver Broncos scores a touchdown in the first half against the Oakland Raiders during an NFL game at McAfee Coliseum December 2, 2007, in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /

Travis Henry

This is definitely a sad story of what could have been.

Travis Henry was drafted in the second round of the 2001 draft by the Buffalo Bills after a strong college career at Tennessee. He ran for over 1,400 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 2002 but the Bills still chose to select Willis McGahee in the first round of the 2003 draft.

Henry responded by rushing for over 1,300 yards and 10 more touchdowns the following season but in 2004, an injury opened the door for McGahee to take the field and take Henry’s job. Refusing to be a backup, Henry was dealt to the Tennessee Titans.

But in Tennessee, Henry began as the backup to Chris Brown and only gained 335 yards on 88 carries in 2005. It seemed as though Henry’s career was beginning to slow down until he exploded for 1,211 yards in 2006.

That offseason, he was cut by the Titans in a cost-cutting move to save the team money. The Broncos wasted no time, swooping in and signing Henry to a five-year, $22.5 million contract.

It certainly looked like a good move as Henry rushed for 433 yards in the first four games of the 2007 season, the most in the league. But injuries slowed him down and forced him to miss a good portion of the rest of the season. He ran for just 258 yards the rest of that year.

But what slowed him down even more were accusations of a failed drug test for marijuana use and though Henry eventually beat that charge and pending suspension, the Broncos chose to release him following that season due to concerns surrounding the commitment to the team.

What started out so promising ended in very disappointing fashion and Henry would never play in the league again, running into more issues with drugs not long thereafter.

Overall result: Didn’t work out

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