Trent Richardson - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens Sign Kamar Aiken, Trent Richardson

April 18th, 2016 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

With their offseason program set to get underway, the Ravens have confirmed a series of signings, including officially locking up several of their own players for 2016. Per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), wide receiver Kamar Aiken has formally signed his RFA tender, while the team has announced in a press release that running back Trent Richardson has signed a contract to join the Ravens.

In addition to re-signing Aiken and adding Richardson, the Ravens also secured a few exclusive-rights free agent. According to the team (via Twitter), wide receiver Jeremy Butler, wide receiver and return specialist Kaelin Clay, and offensive lineman Ryan Jensen have all signed their ERFA tenders.

Aiken, who turns 27 next month, had a breakout 2015 campaign, leading the team with 75 catches for 944 yards. Although Aiken didn’t fully emerge as a go-to option in Baltimore’s offense until after Steve Smith went down for the season with an Achilles injury, the Central Florida product figures to have a significant role going forward. Despite their limited cap flexibility in March, the Ravens assigned Aiken a second-round tender worth $2.553MM, signaling how much they value him.

Richardson, meanwhile, visited Baltimore back in February and has been expected to sign with them for quite some time. GM Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens had been somewhat concerned about Richardson’s conditioning, but agreed to sign him if he lost some weight, which he has. The former third overall pick may have an uphill battle to earn a roster spot in a crowded backfield in Baltimore, but it looks like a low-risk flier for the Ravens.

As for Butler, Clay, and Jensen, while they were technically considered free agents, the Ravens held their exclusive rights, so none of those players could explore the market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Richardson, RG3, Beachum, Cowboys

March 25th, 2016 at 9:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent running back Trent Richardson expects to sign with the Ravens before the start of their voluntary conditioning program on April 18, he told Matt Zenitz of AL.com as part of a highly interesting, recommended piece. Richardson looked on the verge of signing with the team in late February, which obviously didn’t happen, but head coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week that he thinks a deal will get done. The delay is thanks in part to Richardson’s conditioning.

When he visited the Ravens in February, Richardson didn’t expect to work out with the team. The Ravens had other ideas, though, and after eating heavily both the night before and the morning of the meeting, Richardson weighed in at 238 pounds. General manager Ozzie Newsome told Richardson that “we really want you here,” but with the caveat that the four-year veteran would first have to get his weight down to 225 pounds. Richardson is now at 218, his lightest weight since high school, and is hoping to play more like the Alabama back who went third in the 2012 draft than the disappointing pro version who couldn’t even crack anyone’s roster last season.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Browns’ Robert Griffin III will head to Los Angeles to conduct offseason workouts with quarterback guru Tom House, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. House, an ex-Major League Baseball pitcher who’s close with Browns head coach Hue Jackson, has worked with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, A.J. McCarron, Alex Smith and Tim Tebow in the past. He spent a large portion of last offseason with Dalton, who went on to have a career year.
Recently signed Jaguars offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, who’s recovering from a torn ACL, told Tom Pelissero of SiriusXM NFL that he will put on a knee brace next week and begin football movements. “I’ll be starting Week 1,” Beachum added (Twitter link). In order to do that, Beachum will have to beat out incumbent No. 1 left tackle Luke Joeckel.
The Cowboys are the latest of seven teams that have ventured to UCLA to work out offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (on Twitter). Benenoch is regarded as a potential top-75 draft choice.
Saints head coach Sean Payton isn’t a fan of today’s football helmets, saying, “[W]e’re way behind where should be right now with what we’re putting on the players.” However, he expects the safety of helmets to improve at “warp speed” over the next couple years, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “If you took the analogy of an automobile in the ’60s and ’70s and how much of the impact passengers received in a collision and fast-forward to where we are now … I think the same thing is happening and needs to happen with the helmet that we’re wearing,” Payton stated.

Harbaugh Expects Ravens To Sign Trent Richardson

March 22nd, 2016 at 7:29am CST by Luke Adams

Back in February, a report indicated that the Ravens were expected to add running back Trent Richardson to their roster. A signing didn’t happen when Richardson paid a visit to Baltimore, but speaking on Tuesday morning at the NFL owners’ meeting, head coach John Harbaugh said that he still expects the veteran back to eventually become a Raven.

As Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun details (via Twitter), the Ravens have an unofficial agreement in place with the 25-year-old. The Ravens want Richardson to get in better shape and reach a physical benchmark — if and when he does, Baltimore will sign him, per Zrebiec. Harbaugh is hoping another team doesn’t swoop in and sign him before that happens, notes Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

Richardson, the third overall selection in the 2012 draft, lasted just over a year with the Browns, having been dealt to the Colts for a first-round pick early in the 2013 campaign. Richardson was underwhelming, to say the least, during his time in Indianapolis, recording 977 yards and six touchdowns on 316 rushing attempts across two seasons, while adding 55 receptions for 494 yards and a TD in 29 games (20 starts). During his time wearing blue and white, the Alabama product averaged just 3.1 yards per carry.

Richardson’s time in Indianapolis came to an unceremonious end when the Colts waived him after hitting him with a two-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team at the end of the 2014 season. Less than a week after he was let go, the Raiders swooped in and signed him, but Oakland ultimately cut Richardson prior to the 2015 season and he hasn’t been on an NFL roster since then.

Assuming the Ravens finalize a deal with Richardson in the coming weeks, he would join a group of Baltimore running backs that includes Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, and Lorenzo Taliaferro, so he’d likely have an uphill battle when it comes to earning a spot on the 53-man roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trent Richardson Visits Ravens

March 4th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 4: According to Zenitz, Richardson visited the Ravens on Wednesday. Although the running back left Baltimore without a deal, he could still be signed at a later date.

MARCH 2: It sounds like a potential Richardson signing has been moved to the back burner, as Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that no agreement agreement is “imminent” between the Ravens and Richardson. Baltimore could still sign Richardson, per Zriebec, but the club has too many other matters to deal with currently.

FEBRUARY 26: Following up on his Thursday report, Zenitz tweets that Richardson will be in Baltimore early next week to take his physical and to meet with Ravens officials. As long as there are no hiccups, it sounds like a signing will follow.

FEBRUARY 25: The Ravens are expected to sign running back Trent Richardson to a contract, sources tell Matt Zenitz of AL.com. According to Zenitz, the contract agreement is currently pending a physical.

Richardson, the third overall selection in the 2012 draft, lasted just over a year with the Browns, having been dealt to the Colts for a first-round pick early in the 2013 campaign. Richardson was underwhelming, to say the least, during his time in Indianapolis, recording 977 yards and six touchdowns on 316 rushing attempts across two seasons, while adding 55 receptions for 494 yards and a TD in 29 games (20 starts). During his time wearing blue and white, the Alabama product averaged just 3.1 yards per carry.

Richardson’s time in Indianapolis came to an unceremonious end when the Colts waived him after hitting him with a two-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team at the end of the 2014 season. Less than a week after he was let go, the Raiders swooped in and signed him, but Oakland ultimately cut Richardson prior to the 2015 season. The running back hasn’t been on an NFL roster since then, which means he can sign a deal now, before 2016’s free agent period officially gets underway.

Assuming the Ravens finalize a deal with Richardson, he’ll join a group of Baltimore running backs that currently includes Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, and Lorenzo Taliaferro. It’s possible the Ravens could cut Forsett for cap purposes at some point, but if the team keeps those three players, it’s hard to envision Richardson finding a spot on the regular season roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Make Aggressive Offer To Kelechi Osemele

February 25th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have offered to make pending free agent offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele their second-highest offensive player behind Joe Flacco, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Baltimore has made an “aggressive” offer to Osemele, adding that the team views him as its left tackle (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun).

When general manager Ozzie Newsome spoke to reporters on Wednesday, he referred to Eugene Monroe as the team’s left tackle, with Osemele facing free agency, but as Zrebiec writes, it was hardly a ringing endorsement of Monroe’s place in the starting lineup, or even on the roster.

While the Ravens are willing to make Osemele their second-highest-paid offensive player, they may have to do so by a significant margin in order to retain him. In terms of per-year salary, guard Marshal Yanda is currently right behind Flacco among offensive players, with an annual salary of just under $8MM. In terms of total value and guaranteed money, Monroe ranks second behind Flacco, with $37.5MM and $17.5MM respectively.

Unless Osemele is willing to take a hometown discount, I’d expect the Ravens to have to pay him upwards of $10MM per season on a four- or five-year deal, since he’s viewed as a left tackle. If he hits the open market, there will likely be at least one or two clubs willing to pay him that much, so it’ll be interesting to see how his talks with the Ravens play out.

Here are several more Ravens updates:

While Newsome insisted on Wednesday that the Ravens don’t have to rework Flacco’s contract this offseaon, Harbaugh would be surprised if the two sides don’t address Flacco’s deal (Twitter link via Zrebiec).
Harbaugh confirmed that the Ravens are talking to Trent Richardson, though he cautioned that the deal isn’t done yet, per Zrebiec (Twitter link). We heard earlier today that Richardson is expected to sign with the team as long as he passes a physical.
Whether or not Richardson comes aboard, Harbaugh sees Justin Forsett as part of the Ravens’ 2016 outlook, meaning he’s not considered a potential cap casualty, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
Tight end is a priority for the Ravens, with Crockett Gillmore having undergone surgery on both his shoulders and Nick Boyle facing a 10-game suspension (link via Hensley). Zrebiec notes (via Twitter) that Harbaugh was “all over” Boyle, telling reporters that – while the team has no plans to cut the tight end – “there’s no explanation for dumb.”
Zrebiec passed along several quotes from Newsome’s Wednesday presser, along with interpretations of what those comments meant. Among Newsome’s most notable statements? The GM expects safety Lardarius Webb back at his current cap figure.
Zrebiec tweets that Newsome also challenged quarterback-needy teams to give him a call about the sixth overall pick in the draft.

AFC Notes: Bradham, Broncos, Dolphins

December 15th, 2015 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Bills linebacker Nigel Bradham is one of three starters for the team whose contract will expire at season’s end. While Bradham was a better fit under Jim Schwartz‘s defensive scheme in 2014 than he has been for Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman this year, the veteran linebacker would still like to return to Buffalo next season, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details.

“Yeah, I will always envision [being in Buffalo next season],” Bradham said today. “I’m here now, so I’m hoping that I’ll be here next year. But it’s one of those things where you never know. I just look forward to being here.”

Here’s more from across the AFC:

Despite an up-and-down first year in Buffalo, Bills head coach Rex Ryan is almost certainly safe. However, GM Doug Whaley‘s job security is less certain, writes Rodak in a separate ESPN.com piece.
Former third overall pick Trent Richardson is among the players working out for the Broncos today, according to Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). However, Klis adds that the players auditioning for Denver today are only being considered for future contracts, not for this season.
The Dolphins have invested big money into their defense, but the unit still looks like one in need of an overhaul, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Middle linebacker, safety, and cornerback are among the positions Miami needs to address this offseason, in Salguero’s view.
It’s true that some NFL team owners oppose the Raiders moving to Los Angeles, tweets Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego. That’s why, in Acee’s estimation, it’s foolish to think that Chargers owner Dean Spanos would never team up with Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Bills Working Out Trent Richardson, Other RBs

October 6th, 2015 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on WGR 550 in Buffalo this morning, Bills general manager Doug Whaley confirmed that running back Karlos Williams sustained a concussion this weekend, raising uncertainty about his status in Week 5 (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). With LeSean McCoy also sidelined by a hamstring injury, Whaley acknowledged that the team will bring in some free agents for a workout, and will consider adding outside help.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) has now identified a couple participants in that audition, reporting that former third overall pick Trent Richardson will work out for the Bills. Ex-Colt Boom Herron, who tried out for the Patriots this week, will also be among the backs in attendance at the Buffalo workout, according to Rapoport, while John Wawrow of The Associated Press tweets that Alfonso Smith will be there as well.

As Rodak notes, recently released running back Bryce Brown could also be an option for the Bills, who will be significantly short-handed at running back if McCoy and Williams are both ruled out for this weekend’s game. Currently, Boobie Dixon and Cierre Wood, who was recently promoted from the team’s practice squad, are the only healthy backs on the 53-man roster.

Raiders Down To 75-Man Limit

September 1st, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders announced a ton of moves on Tuesday to get down to the 75-man roster maximum. Some of the moves, like the release of running back Trent Richardson and wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, were previously announced. The full list is below:

Waived:

Steven Clark, P
Rob Daniel, CB
Cody Fajardo, QB
Josh Jarper, WR
Lamar Mady, G
Trent Richardson, RB
Kenbrell Thompkins, WR
Milton Williams III, WR

Released:

James Dockery, CB
Ras-I Dowling, CB
Trindon Holliday, WR/RS

Waived/Injured:

Jimmy Hall, S

Placed on IR:

Menelik Watson, OT

Holliday, 29, was a dynamic return man for Denver in 2012 and 2013, bringing back a total of four kicks and punts for touchdowns over the course of those two regular seasons. As a member of the Broncos in the 2012 postseason, Holliday became the first player to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same playoff game. The Broncos decided not to tender a contract to Holliday when he was eligible for restricted free agency a year ago, leading to a 2014 campaign in which the former sixth-round pick bounced around from team to team and battled injuries along the way. Holliday had stints with the Giants, Buccaneers, and 49ers in 2014, and was ultimately cut by San Francisco in April. In June, he landed with Oakland, but his time there has ended as well.

Raiders To Cut Trent Richardson

August 31st, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Raiders will cut running back Trent Richardson, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. Richardson, 25, was said to have been on Oakland’s roster bubble this offseason.

Richardson was selected third overall in the 2012 draft by the Browns, but lasted just over a year in Cleveland, having been dealt to the Colts for a first-round pick early in the 2013 campaign. Richardson was underwhelming, to say the least, during his time in Indianapolis, recording 977 yards and six touchdowns on 316 rushing attempts across two seasons, while adding 55 receptions for 494 yards and a TD in 29 games (20 starts). During his time wearing blue and white, the Alabama product averaged just 3.1 yards per carry.

Richardson’s time in Indianapolis came to an unceremonious end when the Colts waived him after hitting him with a two-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team at the end of the 2014 season. Less than a week after he was let go, the Raiders swooped in and signed him. Now, the former No. 3 overall pick will be looking to join the fourth team of his short career.

Latavius Murray and Roy Helu are the Raiders top two backs and T-Rich was expected to serve as the No. 3 back on the depth chart. However, today’s news confirms that Michael Dyer, who hasn’t been setting the world on fire either, has leapfrogged him.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Pryor, Jets, Texans, Jags

August 29th, 2015 at 4:03pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders brought in running backs Trent Richardson and Roy Helu Jr. to backup Latavius Murray, but Josh Dubow of the Associated Press says it’s been undrafted free agent Michael Dyer who’s been making the biggest case to be the No. 2 back. The Auburn/Louisville product gained 45 yards on 12 carries in last week’s preseason game.

“I feel like I got my confidence up because I was able to get into a rhythm and up to game speed,” Dyer said. “Going from the first game to second game you try to build confidence and get the offense down. By the third game you should be able to have control of the game and play hard and fast.”

Meanwhile, despite the fact that he’s a former first-round pick, Richardson is no guarantee to make the team.

“He’s got to earn it,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “He’s got to be good enough as a backup. We’ve got to see some of the explosiveness that he had when he was a young man playing for the Crimson Tide there. He’s got to have a role on special teams and he’s got to be able to help us win on Sundays. That’s the challenge for him right now.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…

Terrelle Pryor‘s quest to switch from quarterback to wideout hasn’t necessarily gone as planned, as the former Ohio State standout has remained sidelined with a sore hamstring. However, Browns coach Mike Pettine told Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com that the injury doesn’t doom Pryor’s chance to make the team. “We know he’s a project. We understand that,” Pettine said. “We’re not expecting him to go out there and light it up and catch 10 balls for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Just continue to get better.”
Todd Bowles may have some tough decisions to make as he looks to trim his roster, but the Jets coach is confident in what he has. “I have a pretty good idea of what we have with the exception of about three or four guys,” Bowles told Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I have a good idea about everybody else. I understand what we can be, and I know what kind of work we have ahead of us, but I have a good idea of what we have.”
Bill O’Brien needs to cut the Texans roster from 90 players to 53 players in the next ten days, and the head coach is lamenting the inevitably tough decisions. “It’s a very difficult thing,” he told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “As a head coach, it’s one of the hardest parts of your job because you’ve got guys here that have really, really worked extremely hard…You want a competitive roster. You want to have tough decisions, but it’s still not an easy thing to do with guys you really care about, you really enjoy being around.”
Offensive lineman Derek Newton‘s five-year, $26M contract signed with the Texans this past offseason may prove to be a bargain, writes Wilson. “Well, we got him back here for a reason,” said offensive coordinator George Godsey. “He’s been playing some tackle for us. We’ve put him in there at guard with some of the things that we’ve had situationally. We put him over at left tackle and haven’t heard one gripe from him.”
The Jaguars may not have either Andre Branch or Sen’Derrick Marks for their preseason opener, report Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, respectively. Branch suffered a sprained MCL and will be out a “significant” amount of time, per Gus Bradley. The pass-rusher is entering his contract year and already saw a groin injury nullify much of his third campaign. The Jags’ sack leader with 8.5 last year, Marks is still recovering from the torn ACL he sustained in Week 17 of last season. Bradley described his top defensive tackle’s quest to suit up for Week 1 as an uphill battle.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report