Broncos Release Travis Henry

The Broncos opened a minicamp this morning with a bombshell announcement. They've released running back Travis Henry ending a brief and stormy relationship after just over a year together.

Mike Shanahan made the announcement via a written statement. The decision appears to be more personal than business.

"We did not feel his commitment to the Broncos was enough to warrant a spot on this football team. Although Travis has the ability to be one of the top running backs in the NFL, we have to make decisions that are in the best interests of our organization and its goal of winning a Super Bowl."

Shanahan wasn't clear about where Henry was lacking. He was embroiled in an alleged positive drug test last year but the coach backed him up in his successful fight to get it overturned. He's been battling a hamstring injury this offseason but there was no previous sign that he was slow to return. Contract-wise, Henry actually seemed to show all the commitment you could ask.

Henry signed a five-year, $22.5 million deal before last season but recently restructured the deal to keep his spot on the team. He gave back about $11 million and was due just over a million this season which meant, financially, the Broncos had little to lose by keeping him around.

Denver signed Michael Pittman last week and has Selvin Young and his 2,000 yard dreams to hold down the tailback spot. There were rumors of interest in Shaun Alexander but no word yet if they'll be revisited.