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Trent Richardson

AFC Links: Johnson, Forsett, Spiller, Richardson

February 14th, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jets declined the option on Chris Johnson earlier today, making him a free agent this offseason. Johnson played only one year in New York, and his release will save the team $3.5MM on the 2015 cap. Johnson figures to be available for even less than the two-year, $8MM contract he signed last offseason, but should be able to find work somewhere.

Here are some links surrounding AFC running backs this offseason:

  • Johnson was reportedly reluctant to consider the Ravens last offseason despite some interest from the organization, due to the presence of Ray Rice on the roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). With his value another year diminished and no starting running back on the roster, he might reconsider Baltimore this time around. Of course, the team will likely try to keep revelation Justin Forsett (via Twitter). While the offense will likely change without Gary Kubiak at the helm, new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman is expected to keep the zone blocking scheme in place (via Twitter).
  • With Johnson out of the picture, the Jets could target Bills’ former first-round draft pick C.J. Spiller, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Chan Gailey was the head coach in Buffalo when Spiller was drafted, and Spiller experienced some of his best success in limited snaps early on there. He could be a great complement to Chris Ivory.
  • Trent Richardson had a tumultuous end to the 2014 season to say the least, and Matt Bowen of Bleacher Report wonders if he can be fixed. Bowen notes that scouts still swear by Richardson’s college tape. Bowen quotes two scouts as saying he was the best running back they ever graded at the college level. Still, he believes the former third overall pick needs to set new goals for himself in order for him to stay in the league long enough to change his image.

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Raiders, Colts, Jags

February 14th, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off the day with some whispers from the AFC…

AFC Notes: Cromartie, Richardson, Ravens

February 9th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Antonio Cromartie is coming off a one-year contract with the Cardinals, and while fellow cornerback Patrick Peterson would like to see his teammate return to Arizona, Peterson tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that Cromartie will certainly have interest in heading back to the Jets.

“I’m definitely trying to keep him here,” Peterson said. “It’s going to be tough, especially with Todd [Bowles] being in New York and he loves [New York]. That’s all he talks about is freaking New York. I’m definitely trying to get him to stay and we’ll see what happens.”

Cromartie and his representatives won’t be able to talk to the Jets until March 7, so Peterson has a few more weeks to try to recruit the veteran corner back to the Cards. As he works on that, let’s round up a few more items from across the AFC….

  • After suspending Trent Richardson at the end of the 2014 season, the Colts could soon have a battle on their hands with the NFLPA over Richardson’s 2015 salary, which may become non-guaranteed based on that suspension. If that issue comes to a head though, it won’t be the first incident between Richardson and the Colts, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Wells reports that the relationship between the team and the running back deteriorated over the course of the 2014 season because of weight issues, accessibility, and an unexpected absence.
  • The Ravens have mostly avoided restructuring contracts in previous seasons, but may have to rework a couple this season to create some temporary cap relief, according to Aaron Wilson and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. However, the club could also release or extend players to open up cap room. Defensive end Chris Canty, center Gino Gradkowski, and wide receiver Jacoby Jones are among the Ravens veterans whose deals may need to be addressed.
  • According to Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter links), Jaguars owner Shad Khan said he wants to extend his team’s London series beyond 2016. Per Khan, Jacksonville’s revenues will rank 22nd in the league this season, an improvement buoyed by the revenue from the franchise’s games in England.
  • The Browns‘ uncertain quarterback situation extends to the coaching staff, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, who points out that Kevin O’Connell, who will be in charge of Cleveland’s QBs, has never coached at any level in football before.
  • Vince Wilfork played more than 70% of the Patriots‘ defensive snaps, and the club was a top-10 scoring defense with a lengthy playoff run, meaning the big defensive lineman earned every 2014 incentive in his contract, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). That means Wilfork received the full $8MM salary for which he was eligible.

Colts Suspend Richardson, Void Guarantee

January 27th, 2015 at 9:29am CST by Rob DiRe

TUESDAY, 9:29am: Richardson’s suspension for conduct detrimental to the team does indeed void the guarantee on his $3MM+ base salary for 2015, reports Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). With the reasoning for the suspension still not clear, I’d expect Richardson’s camp and the NFLPA to fight it.

FRIDAY, 5:44pm: Much was made of Trent Richardson not traveling with the team to Foxborough to play the Patriots last weekend. Now, general manager Ryan Grigson confirms that Richardson was suspended for two games heading into that weekend, reports Mike Chappell of RTV6 in Indianapolis (via Twitter). The reason for the suspension is unclear at the moment.

Richardson was a healthy scratch in the divisional round against the Broncos, and was reportedly going to miss the AFC Championship due to a family emergency, although he was not expected to be active anyway.

The suspension in itself is not the most interesting part of the story. Richardson’s time with the Colts has been a tremendous disappointment, and Grigson and the Colts would not commit to having him on the roster for 2015 as it was, saying he would be “lumped into that conversation with guys this offseason,” according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com.

Richardson is owed just north of $3.18MM for 2015 according to OverTheCap.com, and because his rookie contract was fully guaranteed, it has been assumed that the Colts would have to pay him that money whether he was on the team or not.

That may not be the case though, as this suspension could change Richardson’s status going into the offseason. Jason Fitzgerald surmised that if Richardson was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, that may void the guaranteed money left on the deal (via Twitter).

This suggestion comes with precedent, as Fitzgerald notes that when the Raiders suspended Rolando McClain in 2012, that allowed the team to get out from the guaranteed money in his contract (via Twitter). Like the Raiders, the Colts may have gotten creative in order to get out from under a contract that they don’t want on their books going forward (via Twitter).

Former Buccaneers general manager and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik confirms that Richardson’s contract has strong voiding language, and that the team will be able to move on from following this suspension (via Twitter).

While this news may inspire celebrations from Colts fans about being free from a player who has been tough to watch over the last year and a half, it needs to be stated that no matter what the language in the contract is, Richardson will likely fight for that money and the NFLPA would fight on his behalf.

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, Richardson fans can take solace in the way McClain turned his career around with the Cowboys — while this is a terrible situation for Richardson, it doesn’t necessarily signify the end of his career after only three seasons.

Trent Richardson Not Travelling With Colts

January 17th, 2015 at 3:10pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts running back Trent Richardson will not be making the trip to New England with the team for personal reasons, and will be inactive during tomorrow’s AFC Championship game against the Patriots, reports Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter).

Richardson was a healthy scratch last week as the Colts elected to activate special teams player Michael Hill for the game against the Broncos in Denver. In reaction to last week’s benching, Richardson vowed it would be the last time it happens, according to Zak Keefer of IndyStar.com. “That situation will never happen to me again,” Richardson said. “Anybody can quote me, today, because it’s never going to happen again.”

Dan Herron has taken over as the top back for the Colts over the last few games, with Zurlon Tipton backing him up. Herron was a Bengals sixth round draft pick in 2012, lasting one year with the team before signing with Indianapolis, and Tipton was signed as an undrafted free agent this year.

This suddenly public battle between Richardson and the team puts his future in Indianapolis in jeopardy. General manager Ryan Grigson notoriously traded a first-round draft pick to acquire Richardson from the Browns only 17 games into his pro career. Since then, Richardson has never caught on as a productive NFL running back. He has been consistently disappointing, barely amassing 2,000 yards in three seasons and only averaging 3.3 yards per carry over the course of his short career.

As a top three pick in 2012, Richardson is viewed as one of the biggest busts in recent history. Albert Breer of NFL.com compares the back to former Raiders’ quarterback JaMarcus Russell, Rams’ offensive tackle Jason Smith, and Raiders’ offensive tackle Robert Gallery (via Twitter).

Richardson has one more year on his contract, and is due $3.184MM in base salary for 2015. That number is guaranteed, and the team will not save a cent by releasing him this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com. Still, if he is unable to contribute in any facet, including special teams, he will hardly be worth a valuable roster spot to sit on the bench.

The Colts would get out from under Richardson’s contract with no dead money on their cap if they are able to trade the underwhelming ball carrier, but that would be unlikely at this point, even for just a late-round pick.

While some may speculate that this has something to do with Richardson’s unhappiness after possibly being benched again, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star cautions against such assumptions, writing instead that it could very well be a personal matter that is keeping him away from the game (via Twitter). Holder notes that the only time players do not travel with the team are in the case of being ruled out be injury or due to extenuating circumstances (via Twitter).

AFC Links: Raiders, Colts, Ravens

December 6th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a 2-10 start to the season, Titans CEO Tommy Smith guaranteed that roster changes would be coming. Smith is hoping to acquire as many “tough guys” as possible, recreating the success the team had a decade ago. Via Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean…

“The game has changed, I know it has,” Smith said. “But guys like Eddie George never backed down from anybody. Steve McNair, he was the heart and soul of this organization. We need more guys like that, guys who are good people, but when they get in between the stripes, they play hard and they play tough.

“Guys who are tough and play hard and committed to doing things right, that is what we are looking for around here. We need more of that. You can always use more guys like that.”

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

  • Mary Purdy of the Mercury News reports that Raiders team officials met with Floyd Kephart, the man responsible for “assembling a development proposal on the Coliseum property” that would make both the Raiders and/or A’s content.
  • Colts running back Trent Richardson will face off against his former team this weekend. Despite his subpar play since being traded by the Browns, the former first-rounder still has plenty of confidence. “When I hear people talk down about me, I just laugh at them and I say, ‘God bless you,’” Richardson said (via Brian Dulik of The Chronicle-Telegram). “I want everybody to see and know that I’m still that running back, I’m still that guy that Cleveland chose with the third pick. A lot of people are saying Trent is a mistake and he was bad and he was that, but I’m telling you folks now, watch these next four weeks and see what happens.”
  • ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley believes it’s still too early to label Ravens safety Matt Elam a bust. The writer warns that the 23-year-old could be developing slowly, similar to Jimmy Smith and Paul Kruger.

AFC South Notes: Brackett, Colts, Mallett

October 17th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Three AFC South teams are squaring off against AFC North opponents this week, as the Jaguars seek their first win of their season against the Browns, the Texans look to knock off the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and perhaps most importantly, the Colts will face the Bengals in a battle of first-place teams. With 11 weeks still to play, there’s plenty of time for teams to move up or down in the standings, but there’s a real possibility that Sunday’s Colts/Bengals matchup could have seeding or home field implications for two teams with 2013 playoff teams with Super Bowl aspirations.

As we look forward to that game and the rest of this weekend’s slate, let’s check out the latest out of the AFC South:

  • The Texans traded for Ryan Mallett just before the beginning of the season, and his history with head coach Bill O’Brien from their time in New England led some to believe that Mallett would eventually get a chance to play. O’Brien spoke up on Friday, praising the strong-armed former Patriot for his preparation and presence on the sidelines, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. However, O’Brien stops short of saying Mallett is ready to go under center and get his first real NFL action.
  • Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated today that tight end Brett Brackett, who’s currently on the team’s practice squad, could be re-added to the 53-man roster again this week, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • In addition to the offensive lineman whose auditions have been previously reported, the Titans also worked out Dennis Roland and Kevin Murphy this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
  • The Colts will be looking very carefully at the 2015 transition tag numbers, with Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson both approaching the final year on their respective rookie deals. The 2015 transition tag will be equal to the 2016 fifth-year options for the top ten picks of the 2012 NFL Draft, where both Luck and Richardson were selected, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com. Keeping Luck for a fifth year at $16.12MM is a no-brainer, but declining Richardson’s number of $9.02MM is just as obvious a choice according to Breer.

 

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

AFC North Notes: Gordon, Richardson, Rice

September 20th, 2014 at 2:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Josh Gordon recently had his season-long ban reduced to ten games, and both he and the team are grateful of the new ruling, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

Browns‘ general manager Ray Farmer released a statement:

“We are aware of the new NFL policy related to the reduction of Josh Gordon’s suspension to 10 games. We will continue to support and work with him under the NFL guidelines throughout this process. Our team’s focus right now remains on preparing for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.”

Gordon also released a statement through the NFLPA:

“I”m happy that the NFLPA and NFL worked hard to agree on a new Substances of Abuse policy. I”m very thankful to my union for fighting for a significant reduction in my suspension. I”m glad I can go to the facility during my suspension. I look forward to going to meetings, working out individually, and learning from my coaches and teammates. I can”t wait until game 11 to get back on the field!”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • Yesterday, the Colts were lamenting the long term effects of the Trent Richardson trade. The Browns, on the other hand, are reaping the benefits, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. Just one year later, the Browns, while not perfect, are progressing as an organization, highlighted by last week’s win over the Saints. The 0-2 Colts have a top heavy roster that seems to be crumbling around Andrew Luck, and while they ran the ball well against the Eagles last week, Richardson fumbled twice.
  • Ravens‘ linebacker Courtney Upshaw was fined $16,537 for a hit he put on Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last Thursday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Upshaw will appeal the fine.
  • The Ravens have already denied the accuracy of the report on how the team and the NFL handled the domestic violence case against Ray Rice, and ESPN did trip over itself in reporting incident. Bob Ley of Outside the Lines misreported that the team had actually received a copy of the tape, and then backtracked to say they had received an account of what transpired. This hurts the overall credibility of the report, writes David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Broncos, Bills, Richardson

September 19th, 2014 at 9:28pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Ravens have responded to the ESPN report by Don Van Natta Jr. and Kevin Van Valkenburg, releasing a statement denying the authenticity of the report, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The statement is as follows (via Twitter):

“The … article contains numerous errors, inaccuracies, false assumptions, and perhaps misunderstandings. The Ravens will address all of these next week in Baltimore after our trip to Cleveland for Sunday’s game against the Browns.”

ESPN released a simple statement in response to the Ravens’ reaction, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter):

“We stand by our reporting.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • The Broncos have been preparing for their regular season rematch with the Seahawks since February. After being blown out 43-8 in the Super Bowl, the Broncos returned as the favorites to return to the big game. However, just getting there wasn’t enough. Over the offseason, the team turned over regulars at ten spots on the defense, writes Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback. The new look Broncos’ defense will be highlighted by the return of Von Miller and Chris Harris, and the additions of Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, and T.J. Ward
  • The Bills received a great offer to buy the team from Kim and Terry Pegula, but the person who deserves credit for the big price is Donald Trump, reports Donald Trump (via Twitter). The Pegula’s paid $1.4 billion for the team, which was considered an overpay by financial analysts, according to the Buffalo News.
  • One year later, Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star reflects on the trade that brought Trent Richardson to the Colts. The former Alabama star can bench press nearly 500 pounds, but he hasn’t been able to power his way to a smooth transition with his new club. Richardson’s 79 rushing yards and 16 receiving yards on Monday night represented his best statistical game in Indianapolis. But, even in the 30-27 loss, Richardson fumbled twice.

AFC South Notes: Richardson, Moncrief, Foster

August 4th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

Trent Richardson is coming off a miserable season after the Colts traded a first-round pick to acquire him early last season, but he is committed to making more of an impact in 2013, writes Stephen Holder of the Indy Star. He wants to contribute as a three-down back, improve his pass protection, and has a goal in his mind in terms of rushing yards. He would not give out the number but admitted that it was higher than 1,000 yards,

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

  • A surprise from the Colts‘ depth chart was rookie receiver Donte Moncrief being listed as the teams starting kick returner, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
    “We want to win,” said head coach Chuck Pagano. “If he gives us the best opportunity to win as a kick returner as well as the receiver, then we are going to put him out there.”
  • The Titans had a joint practice with the Falcons today, and rookie offensive tackle Taylor Lewan got his first taste against defensive lineman from an opponent. Lewan held his own, writes John Glennon of the Tennesseean, but drew one flag for holding. He is currently battling with Michael Oher to be the team’s starting right tackle.
  • Texans‘ running back Arian Foster struggled with injuries in 2013, that caused him to consider leaving the game of football. He admitted so in an interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm. Tania Ganguli, who covers the Texans for the Worldwide Leader, transcribed this part of the interview.
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