Running back Trent Richardson is considered one of the biggest NFL Draft busts of all-time, yet there still somehow hope for him in the National Football League. The Denver Broncos decided to workout Richardson this week.
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Denver, who stands at 10-3 (No. 3 seed, AFC playoffs), will not sign Richardson this year but will consider him in the future.
A former Alabama standout, Richardson was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. His rookie season in Cleveland remains his best year in the league. Richardson totaled 950 rushing yards, 367 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Browns would trade Richardson to Indianapolis, in a deal that would not benefit either party. Richardson struggled with the Colts, averaging 3.1 yards per carry, six total touchdowns and two lost fumbles in two seasons (2013-14).
Richardson would be waived from the Colts on March 12 and then signed to the Oakland Raiders seven days later. A mesh of Richardson and ex-Crimson Tide wide out Amari Cooper was thought to bring good fortune in Oakland. Richardson signed a two-year deal worth $3.9 million with $600,000 guaranteed.
Struggles with weight and mechanics in the preseason led to Richardson been cut by Oakland on Aug. 31.
Workouts in Buffalo and New Orleans did not end well for Richardson, as both franchises chose to go elsewhere.
The 25-year-old was a force at Alabama, totaling 3,130 career rushing yards, 730 receiving yards and 42 touchdowns.
He was a Southeastern Conference champion in 2009 and two-time national champion in 2011 and 2012. Richardson was a unanimous All-American, Doak Walker Award winner and SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2011.
It has been an uphill battle for Richardson, yet he wants to prove that he can play at the highest level.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ESPN_Future.
