Trent Richardson

Richardson was cut by the Raiders at the end of August after a disappointing preseason. It remains to be seen whether or not he'll have a roster spot in the NFL in 2015.

While he offers an enticing power-speed combo at running back on paper – not many 230-pound backs can run a 4.49 40 – Richardson's field vision has proven to be rather awful to this point, as he struggled to find gaps just as much with the Colts as he had with the Browns, posting a miserable 2.9 YPC in his 14 games with Indy. He also saw his receiving stats decline sharply from his rookie season, as he caught 16 fewer balls. However, T-Rich's yards per reception did rise, and he did catch a very fantasy-relevant 51 passes in his rookie year. Last year's early-season escape from the doldrums of Cleveland to the more productive Indianapolis offense hasn't done much for Richardson at this point. He'll have to fight Vick Ballard, Ahmad Bradshaw and perhaps even undrafted rookies Zurlon Tipton and Branden Oliver for carries in training camp, with all those players' roles totally up in the air. Richardson had his shoulder scoped following the end of last season, but that shouldn't impact his status for this year. This is a pivotal season in Richardson's career. A former first-round pick who averaged 5.9 YPC in his final year at Alabama just three years ago, he's got the potential to go boom – or bust.

Despite battling injuries and playing for an offense that was among the league's worst, Richardson still managed 267 carries and 51 catches during his rookie season, albeit with meager 3.6 YPC and 1.9 yards-after-contact averages. The offense should improve this year with a new coaching regime that includes offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who loves to rely on his running backs, especially at the goal line. In fact Turner was the offensive architect behind arguably the two greatest fantasy running backs of all time (Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson). At 5-9, 228, Richardson showed his power at the goal line, converting nearly 40 percent of his 18 rushes inside the 10-yard line into touchdowns, the third-highest mark of running backs with at least 15 such carries. Overall, it propelled him to 11 rushing scores (T-6th).  Injuries, however, remain a concern – Richardson had trouble staying healthy at Alabama, missed last year's entire preseason after undergoing knee surgery, played half the season with broken ribs and missed Week 17 to a high-ankle sprain. Moreover, at press time he was nursing a lower-leg strain that caused him to miss OTAs and mandatory minicamp. There was some talk Richardson would be out until August, but either way, he's expected back at full strength well before the start of the season.

Becoming a full-time starter for the first time during his junior year at Alabama last season, Richardson totaled 2,017 yards with 24 touchdowns while getting 5.9 YPC. While there's no question he played in a system conducive for big stats in college (producing Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram in 2009), Richardson is widely viewed as the best running back prospect coming into the league since Adrian Peterson. He wasn't able to run the 40 at the NFL Combine after undergoing minor knee surgery, but he can make defenders miss with shifty moves, possesses breakaway speed in the open field and will immediately become one of the NFL's most powerful backs. While few rookie runners enjoyed sustained success last season, and plenty of owners were burned by Ryan Mathews the year prior, that doesn't mean a first year back can't make a major impact in 2012. The Browns are far from an ideal situation, as they averaged just 13.6 ppg last season, but it's possible Brandon Weeden is an upgrade at QB, and it's not like Cleveland's inept offense prevented Peyton Hillis from having a big season in 2010. Most important, team president Mike Holmgren already referred to Richardson as a "three-down back," and after Holmgren traded four picks to move up one spot in order to select him, Richardson will likely be asked to be a workhorse immediately. Richardson is a rookie playing for a bad team that has to face the Ravens and Steelers in 25 percent of its games, but he looks like a special talent who will be one of the league's few "every-down" backs in today's game.