Has Trent Richardson Played His Last Game As A Colt?

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson (34) against the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Colts general manager, Ryan Grigson, for the most part, as assembled a Colts team that has a lot of good parts. He’s pulled off some good free agent moves, and made some great trades to get guys like Vontae Davis in Indy. Then there’s the trade that brought Trent Richardson to the Circle City.

His numbers were less-than-impressive in his 1.5 years in Cleveland, but hey, it was Cleveland. The Browns hadn’t been good for years. As the third overall pick in 2012, maybe T-Rich would be able to come in, with the dominant passing attack that Grigson had assembled, and become the dominant feature back everyone though he would be when  he was drafted, so three years ago.

The Colts had to give up their mid first round pick to bring Richardson to Indy, but with a few injuries in the backfield, it seemed that getting their first round pick a tad early would be a great thing for a Colts team eager to build their identity as a “power run” team.

His first season with the Colts produced the kind of numbers that, well… Lets just say watching Trent Richardson run while holding a breakable object wouldn’t be a good thing.

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Fast forward a season and a half  later, and Richardson still isn’t getting it done. Each and every week this season, the guy made me want to gouge out my eyes. As impressed as I’ve been with Grigson’s personnel management during his tenure, his steadfast support of Richardson, despite his dismal numbers (ZERO 100 yard games and an average of 3.3 yards per carry) , has been tiresome and maddening. It’s reminiscent of women you see a woman dating a guy who treats her like dirt. All her friends see it, but despite their best efforts to get her to see the light, she still feels that “he’s the one,” and that somehow she can change him.

Well, apparently our masochistic friend has finally seen the light. Richardson hasn’t seen the field in two games, and the Colts offense is humming like a finely tuned machine. I’m still trying to figure out why it took the Indy brass som long to figure it out, but hey, that’s water under the bridge.

The transformation in the Colts has been obvious. In both playoff games this year, in Richardson’s absence, Boom Herron actually made the Colts look like they had at least something resembling a running game. No one would accuse the Colts of being a dominant running team, but Herron, and his under study, Zurlon Tipton (how can you not love the name Zurlon, by the way) have both managed to do what Richardson failed to do in every game he played for the Horseshoes.

To add insult to injury, this weekend, the Colts signed free agent running back, Michael Hill just prior to the trip to Denver.

When an NFL team can pick up a free agent off the street at the end of the season, and he can make a roster over a number three overall pick, it might be time that guy hangs up his cleats.

So what does this mean for the future of Trent Richardson in a Colts uniform? My guess is the Colts are positioning themselves to cut him from the roster at season’s end. Rumors are circling around the media that Richardson failed a body weight test, and that’s what prompted Grigson to deactivate the third-year back for Sunday’s game in Denver. If there is a weight clause in his contract, that might be just the excuse Indianapolis needs to cut ties with Richardson without having to be on the hook for his $2.5 million salary.

Even if they have to pay him, the Colts simply have to rip off the band-aid here, and part ways with their mistake. They sooner they can remove him from the roster, the sooner we can all forget it happened. Herron and Tipton proved it doesn’t take much to out produce T-Rich. There are guys in the draft who will be available in the second or even third round that can fill the need perfectly.

One could make the argument that Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman are both better than any back the Colts currently have on their roster (In fact, I did just that earlier this season). I’d be shocked if one of those two guys weren’t available when Indy’s second round pick comes around.

I sincerely hope that this is a sign that the Colts have moved on. Mr. Grigson, just put aside your professional pride, admit the Trent Richardson move was a big swing and a miss, and move ahead with what’s best for your team’s future.

It’s time to move on.