Seantrel Henderson Making Progress With Crohn’s Disease
By Ryan Brennan
With Seantrel Henderson making progress in his battle with Crohn’s disease, it seems he’s still a long way from being ready to play.
With training camp less than a month away, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Buffalo Bills is who they’re going to have at right tackle come Week 1. It’s been a part of their roster that has been a question mark for a while.
Last season, Seantrel Henderson carried most of the load and did a decent job of it. However, his health concerns are an issue and it’s unclear if we have anyone else to replace him. If you don’t recall, Henderson was our 2014 seventh-round draft pick that was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease well into last season. He ended up missing the final five games of the season and is still not sure of a timetable on his return.
For most of this offseason, not much was said about their plans with Seantrel. It was, and still is, kind of just a waiting game. However, Bills’ GM Doug Whaley spat out some words of hope and optimism to Bills fans during an interview with WGR 550. Whaley stated that the Bills have heard good news on Henderson’s health and although they still aren’t sure on a timetable, he is moving in the right direction.
The Bills’ Options
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So far, the Bills have a few options to consider. The first is to just keep him on the roster and let him heal, hoping he comes back within the first few games of the season. The second, which is growing in popularity, is to place him on the NFI list and give him guaranteed time to heal.
The NFI list is the Non-Football Injury list, which is similar to the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform). While the PUP indicates they have an injury sustained while playing football, the NFI regards injuries and illnesses that happen outside of football. Like the PUP list, placing a player on the NFI list will keep him out of the first 6 weeks indefinitely.
The pro to placing him on the NFI list is that we gain a roster spot, which we could use to replace him until he recovers. Also, it gives him more than enough time to recover and be ready to play start when he comes back. However, like I said above, we would be without him for at least six weeks. After those six weeks, the Bills can decide what they want to do with him. They can either activate him to the roster or keep him on the list. If he is kept on the list, he will be out for the rest of the season.
Replacements?
Either way, it looks like the Bills are going to need to look at a replacement for at least a few games this season. Do we have someone that could take his spot if needed? Currently, the Bills have two players that could take his place: Cyrus Kouandjio and Jordan Mills.
Cyrus Kouandjio, if you don’t remember, was the Bills’ second round draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has some upside, being about the same size as Henderson (before Henderson lost 25 pounds due to Crohn’s disease) and being bigger than Jordan Mills. However, he has had a tough time proving his worth and hasn’t found a way to crack the roster for a solid period of time.
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On the other hand, Jordan Mills seems to be the better option between the two. Listed at 6’5” and 316 pounds, he comes in a bit smaller than Henderson’s 6’7” and 331 pounds and Kouandjio’s 6’7” and 322 pounds. He started the final five games last season in Henderson’s absence, so he has experience working with the starters in regular season play.
As it stands right now, I see Jordan Mills being the fit going forward. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Henderson enter the NFI list, especially if Mills or Kouandjio step up during training camp and preseason.
The right tackle battle will be one to watch for as the Bills prepare for Week 1 vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
What are your thoughts on Henderson’s availability? Do you have faith in Mills or Kouandjio to step up if needed? Leave your comments below!