Thursday, September 28, 2006

Henderson Getting Bumped?

Fan fave and long-time veteran FB William Henderson may be approaching the end of the line in terms of playing time and on-the-field productivity with the Packers. What leads one to this conclusion? The fact that the team yesterday promoted a fullback from the practice squad to the regular roster.

Brandon Miree, a second year player who played college ball at Alabama before transferring to Pittsburgh, was added to the practice squad after being released on the final cut by Denver. He had been drafted in the seventh round and spent one of his two years with Denver on injured reserve and the other on the practice squad. He also played in NFL Europe, where the Packers began to take note of him.

Given that Henderson is 35 and not as mobile as someone 10 years his junior, and that Henderson also had problems opening holes for Ahman Green last week, the coaching staff apparently felt it was time to take a look at what Miree can do.

The Pack (and fans) have always admired the character, professionalism, team spirit and leadership that Henderson has shown on and off the field. Other than Brett Favre, he is the longest-tenured Packer. It seems likely the team will allow Henderson to retain the starting role, but may also have Miree participate in the majority of plays...if he can do what the team expects him to do. The team began working Miree into the mix on Wednesday and it is likely he will see action against the Eagles on Monday night. No doubt Henderson will mentor this young player who, at least for this year, might provide the level of play needed to help make this offense click. It will be an interesting experiment...yes, another one.