White Has National Stage to Prove Titans Made Wise Decision

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When the news hit that the Titans were going to cut Travis Henry in early March, it was not a punch to the stomach. After all, his '07 salary cap number was to jump exponentially from 2006 and he needed a new deal. The Titans were clearly willing to pay him a lot more money, but couldn't come to terms by the deadline for a huge bonus payment.

So while Tennessee cut Henry, we all thought that he would re-sign with the Titans. With the deadline out of the way, the parties involved would have plenty of time to make the deal happen.

And then Travis Henry went to Denver. And then the punch in the stomach came.

A favorite in every corner of the Titans' building, Travis Henry's decision to bolt for the Broncos hurt a lot. Yes, it was business. Yes, the Titans didn't want Henry to count nine million dollars against the cap. There was no one to blame, no one to be mad at.

Henry got a better deal in Denver and left. It happens every day in every business.

But it still hurt to see this guy walk out the door.

Two days after the dust settled, I tried to write an analytical piece about losing a feature back in 2007. I made the following points to begin...

There are three thoughts on running backs that NFL teams subscribe to:

1. Running backs don't last a long time.
2. You never overpay for a running back.
3. There are more running backs to be found.

Number three on that list is true for certain, which might help make the case for number one and number two to be true, as well.

These are not original thoughts, as this running back logic is available in many quarters. Peter King has just written about it recently, using some of the very same theories.

But I went on to write that Travis Henry was more than just a tailback for the 2006 Titans...

You can make the case that Travis Henry was the MVP of the 2006 Titans. He certainly was a big reason that Tennessee could win six of its last seven games while playing a rookie quarterback.

Even a great rookie quarterback needs a reliable, productive tailback. Vince Young had one in Travis Henry.

It is also tough to see the Titans break up their offensive line/running backs combo that was working so well together. The five linemen, fullback Ahmard Hall and Henry were clearly on the same page down the stretch.

Plus, it is hard to lose a guy that you just love as a player. If you are a true football fan, you love the way that Travis Henry plays the game.

After that, it was time to talk about how LenDale White could made the Titans' brass look very smart in regards to Travis Henry...

If LenDale White can be successful as the Titans' tailback, the move to let Henry walk will be proven correct quickly. In terms of age (six years younger than Henry) and salary cap cost (millions less than Henry against the cap), White could end up being an amazing answer for Tennessee . In terms of learning the job of being an NFL player, White had a better rookie year than his stats show (61 carries for 244 yards).

So how has it all played?

Since we don't know how Henry's potential one-year suspension is going to play out, I'm not going to include that as part of the evaluation. I'm looking strictly at numbers. 

Henry got off to a great start with the Broncos, but has been banged up and has missed two full games. While not as spectacular as Henry, White actually has 45 more rushing yards (625 to Henry's 580) and has answered the bell each week. 

After getting off to a rocky start in the off-season by showing up overweight, White has buckled down and gotten into solid condition -- he couldn't have carried 108 times over a four-week period if he wasn't. White's practice habits have gotten better.

He has also followed Henry's lead and chosen to watch film every week with the offensive line. Henry enjoyed it, saying it gave him a chance to communicate his preferences with the linemen. The linemen enjoyed sharing their feedback with Henry, as well.

White is doing the same thing and seeing the benefits.

A month short of his 23rd birthday, LenDale White is doing the things needed to become an every-down, NFL back. Still, some have questions.

Monday night, White goes home to play in front of friends and family in his hometown of Denver. He will also be playing in front of Travis Henry, his friend and mentor. White has a chance to show that he has fully replaced Henry as Tennessee's feature back. He has a chance to validate the Titans' decision to let Henry walk.

White has been good so far this season, but Monday night in Denver, he can go further.

Once and for all, LenDale White can take the national stage and show that he is "the man," not one of the men. He can end a lot of talk by racking up a big night against the Broncos.