Former Reds GM Jim Bowden was just interviewed on ESPN Radio by Dan Patrick and stated that he is certain the Reds are planning to trade Aaron Boone to NYY for their top pitching prospect. This basically sends a message to Henson that he is no longer the 3B of the future and will probably have to move to the outfield if he wants to stay a Yank (which is his lifelong dream, correct?) If such a move occurs before today's trade deadline, perhaps Henson will have to take a long hard look at the Texans and the NFL as a viable career option. It's all speculation right now... but Bowden seems pretty adamant.
The thing I don't understand about the Drew Henson thing is we hold his rights until the next draft right? Wouldn't it be to his benefit to stay out of football until then and then announce he is making himself available for that draft where he would more than likely be top five and get top five money? If he declared now before the draft wouldn't he only be able to demand sixth round money and that makes this a no win situation for the Texans.
Plus if HE decides to leave he surrenders part of his signing bonus (I believe it's written in that he forfeits it if he leaves for football). You still have hope that the Yankees could buy him out, but it would seem like to me that they'll hold onto him in case he does bloom intot he player they hope.
Actually, it would be to his benefit to come to the Texans before we lose his rights. Why? Because he could have some input (theoretically) in which team he is traded to. He won't have to suffer the pitfalls of other highly ranked collegiate quarterbacks who couldn't handle the pressure of being a team savior for a lousy squad (Shuler, Leaf, Mirer, etc.) Imagine Henson being traded to the Packers as Favre's replacement. It couldnt' happen if he went back to the draft. He would probably end up somewhere like Arizona.
So it's Packers and sixth round money or Cards and top five money? Hmm, what's that Jerry Maguire line? Football injuries are too great a risk especially when nothing is guarunteed, not even greatness in Green Bay or sh!tiness in Arizona. I think the Texan's missed the boat on this one but it only costs us the 6th so it's not really a big deal.
Who said he would get 6th round money. He would negotiate like a Top 5 pick. And the team would happily pay it.
Actually, it would be to his benefit to come to the Texans before we lose his rights. Why? Except that he has a guaranteed $3 million a year or so to stay and suck in the Yankees farm system. Why would void that to get an unguaranteed contract with the Texans when he could just wait and sign as a free agent with whatever team he wanted a year or two down the road?
Ultimate happiness? Maybe it's just me, but I would be willing to give up guaranteed money doing something I'm struggling at for something that everyone tells me I can and probably will succeed at. Hell, I've actually already done that in the past with a previous career change. I made less money, but I was happier with my new work environment. Of course my changes didn't involve millions of dollars.
I don't think anyone is saying he'll sign with the Texans. The longer he stays out of football, the less chance he has of being successful, and he knows it. Playing QB ain't like riding a bike. It's become quite clear that he has no future in MLB, and whatever signing bonus he gives back to the Evil Empire will be more than recouped when he signs with whatever team his rights are traded to.
While it is true that the draft class for next year looks like it will be slim at the QB position, I do not think that Henson will be a top 5 pick. IT definitly hurts his draft status that he has been out of football for as long as he had been when the Texans drafted him. I think that if a team were to seriously consider drafting him (that is if he re-entered the draft) they would not do it in the first round
If Henson is traded for a 1st rounder then he should be = to a first rounder, yes? of course yes. He is a 'special circumstance' player as it relates to contract negotiating. He'll get what ever he needs if he is still regarded that highly. Go Drew, 'pass' on baseball.
So he held some sort of private workout for you & Badger? There's not an NFL gm - much less anybody on this board - who knows where he should/will go in the draft.
Looks like ESPN is on this story... Henson not in Yankee's plans Boone deal hasn't changed Henson's mind -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN.com news services NEW YORK -- When the New York Yankees traded for third baseman Aaron Boone on Thursday, Drew Henson's baseball and football futures were immediately up for debate. Henson, a former college quarterback at Michigan and a sixth-round draft pick of the Houston Texans in April, is struggling for the Yankees' Triple-A team in Columbus, hitting just .227 with 12 homers. The Yankees have been waiting for Henson to emerge, but may have run out of patience with the Boone deal. "Drew Henson hasn't developed to the point where he is in consideration for the major-league side," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told the New York Post. "By this move, we recognize there is a position of need for the organization and we can improve upon it now. The move for Aaron Boone speaks volumes as to where Drew Henson is in terms of his development at this time." But that doesn't mean Henson is headed for the NFL. He signed a six-year, $17 million contract with the Yankees in March 2001, and says he's not ready to give up on baseball. "There are only so many things I can do," Henson said. "It doesn't change a lot for me regardless of whom they get to play third base." Henson's agent, Casey Close, told the New York Times he expects Henson to be traded, but to remain in baseball. "He's a guy they're still paying $12 million to and wants to continue playing baseball," Close said. "You'd think they would want to move him, rather than keep sending him to Columbus every year." His baseball deal, as ESPN.com has reported, includes base salaries of $2 million (in 2003), $2.2 million (2004), $3.8 million (2005) and $6 million (2006). The Yankees "still owe Drew a lot of money," one of Henson's agents, Ken Kremer, of IMG Football, told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli in early July. "It would be tough, for a lot of reasons like the rookie pool, for the Texans to compete with that. But the bottom line is that Drew really wants to play baseball." Houston has made no secret of it's desire to obtain Henson, but negotiations have been limited.
I think that eventually (read 1-2 years) Henson and the Yanks will agree on a buyout, that will allow Henson to keep some of his future money, while saving the Yanks a few million or so over the life of his contract. Of course, that is dependent on whether or not Henson truly feels his baseball days are numbered.
How many people give up their dream while they still have the chance to attain it. Not too many. It will be interesting to watch this unfold.
a signing bonus isn't unguaranteed -- only the yearly salary, which is a sham anyway. and i'm nearly 99.9% certain he has to re-enter the draft next year no matter what (and continue to do so... for some X number of years past... i think his graduation date, or somesuch). the reasons for not waiting are ten-fold -- in a year or two, he's another year or two more removed from the last time he played football and a year or two older. if this were unprecedented, he could afford to wait, but chad hutchinson is blowing the bell curve. and getting to essentially pick your team is a big deal if you ask me. i'd much rather go to, say, denver than arizona; miami over cincinnati, etc. hell, if he's a yankee fan, then he's probably a cowboy fan, too, and he could likely force a deal there. right now, he holds the cards -- he knows the texans don't want him and his only value to them is if he agrees to quit baseball and try the NFL... and does so prior to next april. i'd be willing to bet his agent is negotiating right now with casserly: send us where we want to go and we'll go. it's win-win.
