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March 13, 2015Ah, you look at that picture and you think about what could have been.
Former Browns No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson was released by the Indianapolis Colts today, the team announced via press release. The running back from Alabama had a strong rookie year for the Browns in 2012, rushing for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he was traded to Indianapolis after two games in 2013 for a first-round pick that the Browns traded to move up to draft Johnny Manziel.
Richardson was the first running back to be taken by the Browns in the first round since William Green in 2002. He and Brandon Weeden were both selected in the first round in 2012, and now both are gone from Cleveland, along with former head coach Pat Shurmur and GM Tom Heckert.
Richardson never established himself with the Colts, and averaged just 3.1 yards per carry in his two seasons with the team. He was part of a backfield rotation that also featured Ahmad Bradshaw and former Ohio State Buckeye Daniel “Boom” Herron. Believe it or not, Richardson was the Colts’ leading rusher last year with 519 yards.
The Colts recently signed former San Francisco 49er Frank Gore, which tolled the final bell for Richardson’s time in Indiana.
From the team’s press release:
Richardson was acquired by the Colts in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on September 18, 2013. In two seasons (2013-14) with Indianapolis, he recorded 316 rushing attempts for 977 yards and six touchdowns, while adding 55 receptions for 494 yards and a touchdown in 29 games (20 starts). In 2014, Richardson appeared in 15 games (12 starts) and totaled 519 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 159 carries, in addition to 229 receiving yards on 27 receptions. He was originally selected by the Browns with the third overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Alabama.
For his part, Richardson is taking his release in stride and vowing to come back strong. “Me and the GM didn’t see eye to eye,” Trent said. “My next step, I’ll be the starter. Indy didn’t fit me.”
Trent Richardson: My next step, I'll be the starter http://t.co/KIanjPr8F8
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 12, 2015
At least the kid still has his confidence. Who knows, maybe the Browns will bring him back like they did Thad Lewis.
14 Comments
I’m sure glad we got Ray Farmer, because he’d never blow two first-round picks like that.
Seriously, how can a fan base be so depressingly jaded and simultaneously so stupidly optimistic year after year, decade after decade?
Someday, anthropologic psychiatrists and behavioral psychologists will pick through our comments and tweets much like today’s scientists pore over cave drawings and hierogyphics. And they will marvel at our culture.
Richardson WILL be a starter. Arena football, babeeee!
can’t wait for this draft with another pair of first wrong picks!!!
Glad my kids are toddlers because they have weeden and Richardson jerseys…sigh
Yeah where they don’t run lol
LETS SIGN HIM AND TRADE FOR WEEDEN!!! 2012 HERE WE COME, (tried to say our 1sts, but i couldnt even laugh at that)
great post !! … i am way over-optimistic … i can’t help myslef. maybe it is some kind of flippin’ disease !!
hey , if it makes anyone feel any better … the colts obviously thought trent was pretty good too & we ended-up getting a 1st round pick from them … they look worse than we do.
The Colts are run by the guy who the NFL forced into rehab after he got pulled over with a truck full of drugs and hookers right? Model decision-making process over there.
They didn’t need that first round pick thanks to free agency.
Yea that’s how they ended up with Andrew Luck and just added Gore and Johnson.
And D’qwell and Cribbs and an offensive line that can’t the greatest QB drafted in 10 years on his feet. Just because you (ugh pun) luck into the best pick in 10 years and are willing to dump a truckload of money on a RB on the downside of his career doesn’t mean you follow a good decision making process.
16 years and counting!
You know what, I think when he was shipped out of Cleveland, his confidence was just crushed. Usually guys are somewhat prepared for this stuff, not sent out of town after the 2nd game of your second season when you are the featured back. Rookie year he had 12 TD’s (11 rushing) and almost 1,000 yards while playing with broken ribs almost the entire year. I know everyone likes to clown on him for his YPC, poor vision and his high draft status as a “bust”, but I think he gets a bad rap and the change of scenery was actually worse for him. Man, I don’t think he has the greatest talent, but he did something well his rookie year, probably still has that left in him given the right situation on offense.