Henson piques interest of coaches

Teams are not sure if the quarterback and ex-baseball player still has talent.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Buffalo wants to develop a young quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe, and general manager Tom Donahoe thinks Drew Henson could be the right one.
But he still isn't sure. Neither is anyone else.
"He had a good workout, but you're trying to guess at his football ability," Donahoe said. "He hasn't played for three years. He looks like he can do it, but it's hard to get better playing football when you're playing baseball."
Henson is the great anomaly in this year's draft.
He gave up football before his junior season at Michigan, opting instead to play baseball for the New York Yankees. Now, after three fruitless seasons in the minor leagues, including time at Triple-A Columbus, Henson is back in a helmet and pads.
The Houston Texans selected Henson in the sixth round last year and still own his rights. But with David Carr, a former No. 1 pick, already entrenched as the starter, Henson's opportunities will be limited.
On the trading block
So general manager Charley Casserly put Henson on the trading block. Casserly has not said publicly what he wants in return, but Sunday at the NFL combine, Casserly said he would not accept a conditional draft pick.
"It has to be a firm pick," Casserly said. "I think what we want is fair and the people I've talked to don't think it is unfair."
Twenty teams recently watched Henson audition during a workout in Houston. Coaches or general managers from four teams -- Buffalo, Cleveland, Dallas and Green Bay -- said they expressed at least some interest in acquiring him.
Miami has made inquiries about Henson, too, but is now considering a trade for Philadelphia quarterback A.J. Feeley.
While Donahoe and others have given Henson good reviews, the questions linger.
"You've got to take into account that he's missed three years," Dolphins general manager Rick Spielman said.
Not a good record
The recent track record of converted baseball players has not been good. Cleveland cut quarterback Josh Booty last year and Dallas quarterback Chad Hutchinson lost the starting job to another former baseball player, Quincy Carter, last season.
Casserly believes Henson is different.
At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he has prototypical size and a strong arm. After watching the quarterbacks work out Sunday in Indianapolis, he also received the expected endorsement from Casserly.
"I'm biased," Casserly said. "But my feeling is that he is better than any of the four quarterbacks we saw today."
Four quarterbacks -- Mississippi's Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger of Miami (Ohio), North Carolina State's Philip Rivers and Tulane's J.P. Losman -- are expected to be first-round picks in April.
Henson could join them.
If he is not signed before April 24, Henson can re-enter the draft and the Texans will get no compensation. Casserly said he believes Henson would be selected no lower than the second round.