Another year of pro football is around the corner and Trent Richardson is on a new team. The two-time first round pick has yet to meet anywhere close to his top-5 draft expectations as he’s set to enter his forth year in the NFL on his third different team. As the pre-training camp positivity continues to dominate headlines, offensive line coach Mike Tice inserted an interesting nugget about Richardson when interviewed on Sirius XM NFL Radio: “I thought the young man out of Alabama came on. He lost some weight, his quickness came around.”
It’s worth noting that Tice was liberally giving away compliments to virtually every participant in the Raider backfield (including incumbent starter, Latavius Murray) in his interview, but the specifics on Richardson’s dietary adjustment can be easily digested as a good sign. Perhaps the biggest criticism levied on Richardson in his post-collegiate career has been his gratuitous weight gain. Richardson weighed in at 228 lbs. during the 2012 pre-draft process, and reportedly ballooned up to 240 lbs. while with the Colts. With all the extra weight, Richardson’s sluggishness and lateral agility suffered mightily, leading to what is now a career 3.3 yard per carry average.
It is undoubtedly a good sign for the Oakland Raiders that Richardson has decided to take his physique more seriously, but his newfound commitment may have come a day late and a dollar short as he’ll likely see himself start the season as the third string running back, if he makes the team. That said, Richardson should find solace in highly touted collegiate backs that were able to produce after stumbling out of the gates, like former Texas star, Cedric Benson, who became a capable starter in Cincinnati after failing to meet expectations in Chicago. Whatever becomes of Trent Richardson moving forward, it’s good to see him go with a bit less belly fat and a bit more thigh gap in 2015.