Sports - Pancake Blocks: Chris Henry Rising?

It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, but I certainly wasn't expecting it.

Chris Henry was available on my dynasty waiver wire this morning. I quickly picked him up, dropping Mario Manningham. Henry has topped 50 receiving yards in a game just once since Dec 15, 2007. He is one off-field miscue away from at least a year's suspension.

I recall a pre-Laveranues Coles signing conversation about Henry with Gregg Rosenthal. He asked me what I thought of the super-skilled but arrest-prone wideout's situation. I said I didn't think the Bengals could ever rely on Henry to play full time and that Andre Caldwell would get the first crack to start in place of T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Coles signed on later, but with Chad Ochocinco sitting out minicamps, Henry is taking first-team reps and has the support of the most integral piece in the Bengals' organization.

Carson Palmer on Henry:

We've got Chris Henry. He's kind of taken over for Chad's position. He's a guy that's...really turned his life around. I'm excited to watch him play. He's a guy that seems like he catches a touchdown every other ball that's thrown to him. He's that explosive.

Palmer on Ochocinco:

Chad's pretty much gone, he hasn't been here. I haven't talked to him. I haven't talked to anybody that has talked to him. I'm planning on him not being here.

This is either Palmer reaching out to management to convey that he wants Chad gone, or it's Palmer trying to motivate Ochocinco to report. It could also be a hint that the Bengals will make Chad, coming off a career-worst season, compete for his starting position when he returns. In any event, Henry needs to be owned in all fantasy formats.

What do you make of Palmer's comments? Is depth-chart change on the horizon? Chad certainly didn't play last season like someone who should be guaranteed a starting role the following year.

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