Remember when the Indianapolis Colts traded a first-round pick for Trent Richardson? As of today, the Cleveland Browns look like geniuses. Richardson was a non-factor after arriving in Indy last season and has averaged just 2.4 yards per carry in two preseason games this year. He’s still not running with conviction, and people are taking notice.
One of those people is Colts general manager Ryan Grigson.
“Trent, he needs to answer the bell and do his job to the best of his ability,” said Wednesday, via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. “We’re all accountable here. I will say this, there are a lot of backs last year that wouldn’t have got [2.4] considering the amount of people he had in that box and the amount of bodies that were hitting him before he even seemed to get the ball sometimes. He’s such a hard runner, we know how tough he is, but he’s got to produce just like all these guys do on this final 53.”
Grigson was basically defending Richardson without defending him. The Colts offensive line has not been great, but Ahmad Bradshaw somehow averaged 4.5 yards per carry in three games with Indy before getting hurt last season. Head coach Chuck Pagano doesn’t seem overly concerned.
“I think everybody wants this guy to get going and that guy to get going, but there’s some tough sledding right now and we’re working at it,” Pagano said. “I think having the capability to do the other thing is going to open things up in the run game for us.”
Bradshaw is supposedly healthy and ready to go, yet the Colts have kept him out of preseason action. That should tell you all you need to know. We don’t expect Richardson to run away with the job, and neither do the Colts. Bradshaw will be their most valuable back if Richardson runs the way he did last year.
