Thread: Young making most of opportunity created by Henry's departure

I didn't see this posted anywhere yet.


http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=090...o&confirm=true

Selvin Young hopes to get the bulk of the carries in Denver this season.




ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said the release of Travis Henry would make for wide-open competition at running back. Selvin Young took advantage of the change to strut his stuff Tuesday at camp.

The second-year running back worked with the top offensive unit the entire morning on the fifth day of the two-week camp. Young is one of three or four players up for the No. 1 running back job that opened when Henry was released on June 2.

Backfield battle
With the release of Travis Henry, the competition to start at running back in Denver is wide open:

Selvin Young, RB
Denver Broncos
Height: 5-11
Weight: 207
Experience: 2
G/GS: 15/8
College: Texas

Andre Hall, RB
Denver Broncos
Height: 5-8
Weight: 212
Experience: 2
G/GS: 10/1
College: South Florida

Michael Pittman, RB
Denver Broncos
Height: 6-0
Weight: 228
Experience: 11
G/GS: 143/79
College: Fresno State

Mike Bell, RB
Denver Broncos
Height: 6-0
Weight: 225
Experience: 3
G/GS: 20/3
College: Arizona
"I'm taking the reps with the No. 1 unit and it's my mind to go out and be a leader," Young said. "I'll continue to keep pressure on those other guys and whenever it is etched in stone, I hope I'm the guy who gets the job."

Andre Hall, Michael Pittman and Mike Bell figure to present Young the greatest competition.

The day the Broncos released Henry, Shanahan said he felt good about the team's talent at running back.

"We have a tailback coming back that averaged 5.2 yards a carry (Selvin Young)," the coach said.

"That's confidence coming from Mr. Shanahan," Young said. "He is one of the greatest coaches of all time and I believe in anything that he does and anything he says. I'm going to be a soldier for him."

Young made a case for himself a year ago by running for 729 yards on 140 carries after coming to the Broncos as an undrafted player out of Texas. He became the sixth undrafted running back since the inception of the common draft in 1967 to crack 500 yards as a rookie.

He joined Indianapolis' Dominic Rhodes (1,104 in 2001), Carolina's Fred Lane (809 in 1997), the New York Jets' Clark Gaines (724 in 1976), the Broncos' Mike Bell (677 in 2006) and Green Bay's Samkon Gado (582 in 2005) as the others to reach the 500-yard plateau.

He had 100-yard games both times against Kansas City. He ran for 109 yards and a touchdown on Nov. 11 in Kansas City and 156 yards on Dec. 12 at home.

"I always had it in my mind I could be a feature back for any team in the NFL," Young said. "I was just looking for a team to give me an opportunity, one that would believe in me and allow me to push myself to get to the level of competition."

The question remains: can he be an every-down, 25-carries-a-game running back, playing at 211 pounds on his 5-foot-11-inch frame?

"It's something that's up to me to prove," Young said. "I had the opportunities and I showed flashes of it as a rookie, but it is my job to go out and prove to the coach that I can be productive (at 211 pounds)."

Injured tight end Tony Scheffler dressed for the camp, but participated only in his position drills. Scheffler is recovering from a broken left foot.

I'm glad that NFL reported this but it says nothing about how he has done in camp and what other players on the team think. I was kinda hopeing for a little in depth discussion on how he was making the most of it instead of just telling the media he thinks it's his job to lose. I was wanting to hear about the 55 yarder he broke and how the 15 pounds of muscle he added during the offseason has helped him barrel through DJ.

I like what I see from Selvin since last season. He's doing the stuff you want to see in a player.

I don't put any stock into the depth chart until about mid training camp. I hope Selvin plays well and earns the spot. Maybe he can stay healthy this season, and show what he's really made of. I'd like to see him prove me wrong about him being a complimentary back and nothing more.

Goooooooooooooooo Selvin!

Where's HD?

You gotta love this annual parade of fluff stories. Its also amazing how quickly some of these feel good stories are forgotten sometimes once the season starts.

Looks like the author really did their research. Not one mention of Ryan Torain.

either selvin has already lost lots of weight or the story that said he added 15 lbs was lying ; he's at 211 now.

Seems like a good kid. He obviously has a role and a spot on this team--best to leave it at that.