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ENGLEWOOD - There are plenty of numbers to crunch in an NFL offense, all swirling around in a playbook waiting for their time to come.

But at the moment, only two concern Broncos running back Travis Henry.

One. And one.

"That's it," Henry said with a smile. "One and one. Hope it adds up to me."

One back. One ball. That's it. So, what exactly does it equal?

It depends, in a salary-cap league. Depends on who gets the question. And it certainly depends on the running back with the ball.

"Sure, you'd like one guy who gets 2,000 yards like T.D. (Terrell Davis)," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "That's a perfect scenario, but that doesn't always happen. Well, it almost never happens, but the perfect scenario is to have that one back to carry the load.

"That guy's got to be durable, have pretty good size, he's got to play hurt a little bit to survive the wear and tear that goes on during the season. Some guys embrace it, they want it that way. Some guys just don't. They want the 20 carries a game and that's it, they want to be done with it."

But Henry doesn't want to just embrace the idea of being the guy. He wants to grab it and lug it as many times as Shanahan lets him.

He wants to help turn back the clock on the idea that an NFL backfield has become a place for sharing, a place where many hands make light work.

But following Davis' footsteps in the Broncos offense is certainly a grueling quest.

Davis carried the ball at least 369 times in the two seasons that ended in Super Bowl wins - 1997 and '98 - and carried the ball 345 times in '96, when the Broncos finished 13-3.

Henry's résumé - it includes three 1,000-yard seasons and two seasons with at least 325 carries - points to the potential to carry that type of load.

"Me, personally, I'm from the old school," Henry said. "From watching Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, all those guys, it was one back. That's it. One guy got the ball.

"It's good to have the backup in case something goes wrong, but as far as rotating during the game, that takes away from a premier back trying to get in a rhythm. So, a two-back rotation? I guess I don't see it."

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