The curious case of Trent Richardson continues. The running back has yet to truly be the player that most expected he would be coming into the NFL Draft as he searches for his third team of his short career. Richardson showed some promise with the Cleveland Browns, but was traded to the Indianapolis Colts where things really fell apart. In need of a career boost, where will the running back land in 2015?
The Colts announced Thursday they were waiving Richardson after signing Frank Gore. It was an expected move even to Richardson who stresses that he simply was not a good fit in Indianapolis, but still believes he is a starting running back in the NFL.
I was expecting this," Richardson said, via ESPN.com. "It just didn't work out. I'm not saying anything bad about the program, but that program just didn't fit me at all. Me and the GM didn't see eye to eye. It was a bad marriage for us. I'll be one of the top running backs from here on out. They ruled Marshawn Lynch off in his third year. Look at what he's doing now. My next stop, I'll be the starter. I still have my pride, and I know who I am."
One thing is for sure, Richardson will sign for cheap, likely only able to command a one-year deal as a sort of prove-it contract. The Dallas Cowboys were considered an option after the team said goodbye to DeMarco Murray, but they went out and signed Darren McFadden to a two-year deal and will likely look to the draft for someone.
Could the Oakland Raiders be a good fit for Richardson? The Raiders wanted most of the top running backs, but are not getting a lot of looks. They signed Roy Helu to pair with Latavius Murray. Richardson would be solid running in tandem with the two other running backs. He would also run well catching passes out of the backfield. The Raiders have money to spend and could easily pick up Richardson with a deal.
The Miami Dolphins might also be willing to take a look. The team has yet to commit to Knowshon Moreno while they have a potential starter in Lamar Miller. However, Miller cannot do it on his own and Richardson would work well in the tandem. Again, he would have to sign for cheap in order to head to South Beach.
Any team with a starter in place would be wise to at least glance at Richardson. If anything he could turn into a low-risk, high-reward player and be useful in any running back rotation.
