Right now most people would reply to the above question with a yes – and as a devout Colts fan I would be inclined to agree.
Still, I am willing to give Trent Richardson a second chance and not come to a conclusion until after the first four weeks of the 2014/15 NFL season.
The Indianapolis Colts started off the season with a two-headed running machine in free agent signing Ahmad Bradshaw and fifth round sophomore Vick Ballard. Both ran the ball hard early on this season before two different injuries led to them being placed on IR.
Trent Richardson was acquired after the injury to Vick Ballard, in exchange for the Colts’ first round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Ahmad Bradshaw was still healthy at the time but is renowned for constant niggling injuries.
Immediately after the trade Richardson, who was taken third overall in the 2012 NFL draft, was described by Chuck Pagano as a “rolling ball of knives”.
After crossing the line for a touchdown in his first two games it seemed likely that the trade was going to be a great one for both franchises.
Then slowly over the last six to eight weeks, Richardson has declined immensely. Over the past eight games he is averaging 2.67 yards a carry. Over the season he averages 3.0 yards per carry, ranked 46th in the NFL.
His decline has lead to his benching and the promotion of Donald Brown, who before the season started was in danger of being cut from the team. Lucky for the Colts, Brown made the roster.
Why has there been such a decline in Trent Richardson? There are many factors at play.
The Colts offensive line, particularly the interior line, is one of the worst in the league. The loss of Donald Thomas in Week 3 has them very weak at the guard position. Dwayne Allen, the best blocking tight end on the Colts roster, is currently on IR.
Mike McGlynn and Samson Satele are two of the worst interior linemen in the league. Colts fans have been calling for their heads all season, but unfortunately there are no viable replacements with Jeff Linkenbach and Khaled Holmes being the back-ups.
Rookie Hugh Thornton has showed glimpses but has also had some shocking games.
The poor play of the offensive line has not gone unnoticed by Pete Prisco of CBS.
To be fair to Trent Richardson, I don't think a combo of Jim Brown and OJ Simpson could get yards behind Satele and those guards
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) December 3, 2013
While the offensive line is mostly to blame, Donald Brown has been able to produce, so Richardson must be held accountable for his lack in production and vision.
Let’s not forget the loss of Reggie Wayne from this offence; the passing game has been stagnant since the future hall of famer was placed on IR. With no Reggie Wayne on the outside the Colts face plenty of seven and eight men boxes. Defences are forcing Luck to throw to average receivers in Darrius Heyward-Bey and LaVon Brazill.
The emergence of undrafted rookie Da’Rick Rogers may help ease this problem for Richardson and the Colts. He showed potential against Cincinnati earlier this week.
Richardson’s decision making in games has been very suspect but Reggie Wayne has come to his aid, saying that Richardson felt as though he was rushed into the Colts’ offence and never fully got a grasp of the playbook.
It is expected that new players to an offence need time to adapt to the new surroundings and new systems. It can take months to learn new schemes and the playbook.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk essentially described it as changing a tire on a moving car.
There is hope for Colts fans as a current running back by the name of Marshawn Lynch went through similar circumstances.
Lynch was traded from the Bills to the Seahawks in Week 4 of the 2010 NFL season.
For his starts for the Seahawks in 2010 he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry on his way to six touchdowns. The following year, after an off-season that included OTAs and training camp, that number increased to 4.2 yards per carry and his touchdowns doubled from the year before.
Wayne feels that with a proper off-season and training camp under his belt, Richardson will bounce back and prove his first round value. Many Colts fans will be hoping that Wayne is correct and that Richardson takes a similar path to success for Marshawn Lynch.
While the Richardson trade looks to be a bust so far, I will wait until after the first month of the 2014/15 NFL season before I make a final judgement. It would be great to see the him back in the form that warranted him to be drafted so early.
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