The Colts announced that they have waived running backs Trent Richardson and Michael Hill.
Richardson had a bizarre ending to the season with the Colts, to say the least. The running back did not make the trip to New England with the team for the AFC Championship game against the Patriots. There was no specific reason for his absence at the time and it was only classified as a move made for personal reasons at the time. Richardson was actually a healthy scratch in favor of Hill for the team’s previous playoff game against the Broncos.
The Colts acquired the powerful tailback in a trade with the Browns in September of 2013. Indianapolis. looking to fortify their run game, sent Cleveland their first-round choice in 2014. Needless to say, the deal didn’t work out well for the Colts. The former No. 3 overall pick recorded 316 rushing attempts for 977 yards and six touchdowns across two seasons, while adding 55 receptions for 494 yards and a touchdown in 29 games (20 starts). In his time in blue and white, he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. Richardson was owed just north of $3.18MM for 2015.
Hill was signed by the Colts as a free agent in January and appeared in two postseason games on special teams when T-Rich was not on the roster. In his two-year (2013-14) NFL career, Hill has recorded nine rushing attempts for 23 yards and two receptions for 23 yards in eight games played.
Both Richardson and Hill will have to pass through waivers before joining another team.
so if no one claims him as is expected, does 3.18 mill count as dead space on the cap?
That’s still up in the air — the suspension from the Colts at the end of last season may end up voiding Richardson’s guarantee, but he and the NFLPA will definitely fight that.
Interesting. How do these cases usually go?
It varies on a case-by-case basis, so I wouldn’t feel too confident making a prediction either way in this instance. Here’s a good breakdown of the details of the situation: link to indystar.com