What? Really? Why? These are a few of the questions that popped into my head as I heard the word. Per Adam Schefter, the Indianapolis Colts have acquired Trent Richardson from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a first round pick.
I have no idea why the Browns would give up on Richardson, who they selected third overall in the 2012 draft. Richardson is the type of running back that a franchise can build around. He is young, at only 23 years old, he has power, speed and toughness. This is a kid who has played through knee injuries and broken ribs.
My initial take on this from the Browns point of view is the Browns are already looking past the 2013 season and planning for the future. With Richardson off the roster, Bobby Rainey is now listed as the starting running back on the Browns official website. They will be bringing in Willis McGahee. I’ll be back later with how this impacts the fantasy values of the Browns players.
On the Colts side, this elevates everyone on the team except the running backs. Vick Ballard, while not terrible, wasn’t scaring any defenses. Neither was Ahmad Bradshaw despite Bradshaw finding the end zone last week. Typically, oppositions went heavy on pass defense, forcing the Colts to beat them with short passes and runs. That will no longer be an option. Richardson has all the tools needed to be an elite back, and can make oppositions pay if left unchecked. Last season, as a rookie, Richardson had 950 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has the talent to be a top five running back.
Richardson’s fantasy value just took a significant jump. The Browns passing attack was nowhere near as potent as the Colts. With weapons for quarterback Andrew Luck like Reggie Wayne, deep threat T.Y. Hilton and speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey, oppositions will have to account for the Colts receivers. This was not something that Richardson encountered in Cleveland, where opponents would stack the box and force the Browns to beat them through the air.
Simply put, this gives the Colts some serious firepower on the ground to match their air attack. The team itself just went from a team that could make the playoffs to a team that could make a run for the Lombardi. Stay tuned to www.Rantsports.com as we will have much more coverage on this very soon.
As always, I welcome your comments. If you think I’m wrong, I’m willing to listen. Just back it up with some facts and solid evidence. Thanks for reading and good luck this season.
Dustin Manko is an author at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustinManko, ”Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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