Trent Richardson Couldn’t Earn a Roster Spot
Trent Richardson was cut by the Oakland Raiders on Monday. He couldn’t even make the 75-man roster before the final 53-man deadline, and that’s pretty embarrassing.
This announcement probably came as a surprise to Raiders’ fans. Most of the news regarding Richardson’s tenure with the team seemed positive, but it seems that he wasn’t a good fit. When Richardson was selected by the Cleveland Browns as the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, nobody could have guessed that he would be unsigned at age 25.
This guy couldn’t seem to ever find his footing in the NFL. Trent Richardson was sent to the Indianapolis Colts by the Browns, and he had a great opportunity to be a star running back for a team who struggled with that position. However, Richardson was nowhere to be seen when he should have been playing the most important games of his career.
In last year’s playoffs, Indianapolis didn’t allows Richardson to play. The Colts set Richardson as inactive for the divisional round game against the Denver Broncos. Richardson didn’t get a shot to play against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game either because the Colts suspended him. Basically, he wasn’t a good fit for the Colts. In regards to the situation with the Colts, an ESPN article said:
"“The team grew frustrated with him during the season because he had weight problems, was often late to team meetings and had poor communication skills with team officials. Richardson missed making weight 14 times during the season, according to a source.”"
With problems like that, it was surprising when the Oakland Raiders signed Trent Richardson this past offseason. It seemed like Latavius Murray was going to be the Raiders’ starting running back, so Richardson might have been featured as a short-yardage runner or a backup.
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Either way, Murray doesn’t need to worry about losing reps to an underachieving first round draft pick anymore. Based on Richardson’s sub-par performance in the preseason games, cutting him was a good move by the Raiders. Trent Richardson bragged about his weight loss and dedication to the Raiders earlier this offseason, but that was all talk because he didn’t produce when he was given a fair chance to earn a roster spot.
According to a recent ESPN article, an undrafted rookie on the Raiders might have secured a roster spot because of Richardson’s release. The article said:
"“Richardson’s release might have opened the door for undrafted rookie Michael Dyer, a former Auburn and Louisville standout who has looked better than Richardson this summer.”"
The Oakland Raiders definitely made the right decision by cutting Trent Richardson. Michael Dyer is a rookie with fresh legs, and he seems to be a more promising yard producer than the disappointing Richardson. This roster move is also a perfect example of how Jack Del Rio will lead the Raiders.
In the Del Rio system, the best players will be the ones on the field. Trent Richardson was expected to produce good carries in the preseason, but he wasn’t able to prove himself as a commodity for the team. Therefore, Del Rio and the Raiders decided to release Richardson to give more talented players such as Murray and Dyer greater opportunities. If the Oakland Raiders continue to hold their players to the highest expectations, then the team might give us the winning season we’ve been optimistically anticipating.