Edgerrin James to Mentor Trent Richardson?

September 22, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson (34) looks on before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. The Colts defeated the 49ers 27-7. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Trent Richardson has been a huge disappointment since being acquired from the Cleveland Browns, and his first preseason game this year wasn’t good either. The Indianapolis Colts thought they were getting their running back of the future, but he has a lot of work to do before he reaches that expectation. That being said, Richardson has been getting closer to, and is likely to be mentored by former Colts’ great running back Edgerrin James.

Richardson spoke to the media about the conversation after James watched his practice with the Colts on Saturday.

“It was a blessing, man. Just to watch practice, he said he’s going to do a lot more with me, going to be hands-on. We’ve been having phone calls back and forth, but I never had the chance to practice in front of him.” – Trent Richardson

That is certainly a good sign for the Colts, as James can help Richardson reach his full potential. There is no doubt that James is still a Colt at heart, and he knows how much Richardson means to Indy’s future.

“Last year when he got here during the middle of the season, it wasn’t fair to him to try to get in with all the stuff he had going on. I told (Colts owner) Mr. (Jim) Irsay that I would come up during training camp. It’s unfair to kind of judge him on last year, because it’s two different systems, and the terminology is totally different. He was just kind of thrown out there. You can’t really get an assessment.”

Those words are extremely encouraging for Colts fans, and the upcoming season just got more exciting to see the development of Richardson in his second season. Indianapolis hasn’t had a consistently good running back since James left, and perhaps he will be able to share the secret of his success with Richardson. A third-year running back can never have too many veteran voices helping him grow and become more comfortable with a new team.

Overall, this is great news for the Colts’ organization and their fans. Richardson is going to need to step up this season for the offense to be as dangerous as it has the potential to be, and it would take a lot of pressure off of Andrew Luck if he can step up. It’s nice to see James come back to help the Colts out again, and hopefully he will have a big impact on Richardson.