High Side by Andy Hicks
Travis Henry is the most difficult of the 4 Face-offs I have to do.
First of all I need to sing his praises, something that is difficult after writing negatively about the others.
Second I didn't think my ranking of 17th would be that unusual.
Third, he is not in the most secure of roles.

On the bright side:
Many Buffalo fans howled with delight to see Rob Johnson leave. By the way, what was with that stupid headband? Was Loverboy making a comeback? Anyway, Alex Van Pelt would have been OK, but then the club does the deal and gets potential Hall of Famer Drew Bledsoe, who is still young enough to offer at least 4 years of good play. That is sure to open up running lanes for Travis Henry. The addition of Mike Williams in the draft, as well as Trey Teague and Marcus Price in Free Agency is sure to improve one of the most dire Offensive Lines in the NFL. This can only improve the chances of Henry. The Buffalo team as a whole will be better. It is very difficult for a Running Back to impose any authority on a game, when then team is constantly behind. Henry averaged 13 carries a game in 2001. That figure has to go up this year. With the improved O-Line, the yards per carry should also go up. More scoring opportunities means more TDs, so the improvement from 28th to 17th is not that big a jump.

Buffalo's last placed schedule will be a bonus.

The introduction of Richard Huntley does not worry me. Huntley is older than Jerome Bettis, injury prone and did not prove anything last year at Carolina. He is a clear backup. Shawn Bryson on the other hand has me worried. If Buffalo can ship him, then Henry becomes a safe 17th pick. If Bryson stays, Henry becomes a very shaky 17th ranked Running Back. Bryson proved an awful lot in his few games as a starter. Two 100 yard games and definitely looked the part.

Outside of my top 14 Running Backs, you could throw a rug on the next 20 backs. My Rankings from 15 to 34 are very tight. Training camp news, preseason games, almost anything will swing players from 30 to 16. Henry is in this group. He can either rise slightly or fall dramatically.

Best case scenario - Drew Bledsoe makes a great impression. Moulds, Price & Reed click, opening up lots of room for Henry. The O-Line gels quickly creating even more space. Buffalo are able to hold onto leads, using the running game to bury the opposition. - Best Ranking Possible - 9th.

Worst Case scenario - Bledsoe and the O-Line are slow to adapt to the Buffalo playbook. 8 men are stacked in the box, Henry struggles to find room, and others are given a chance to take his place. - Worst Ranking Possible - 35th.

Low Side by Dave Shick
There are four RBs in Buffalo this season who have the potential to start. Richard Huntley, Sammy Morris, Shawn Bryson, and Henry. Henry is the odds on favorite to be the starter, but he's no sure thing. I have Henry as my RB#27 as of now. This could change as we get closer to the season start, but for now I just don't see him being a clear cut RB2 for a solid fantasy team yet.

Another strike against Henry (and the rest of the Buffalo backfield) is an unsettled O-Line situation. Only three positions are set and one of those is rookie Mike Williams. To me, this doesn't spell break out year for a Buffalo RB..