When the Colts traded a first-round draft pick for running back Trent Richardson early last season, they hoped they had found the final piece of what could be a championship-level offense. Instead, Richardson turned out to be a millstone for the Colts’ offense, and by the end of the year he had been replaced as the starter by Donald Brown.
But Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson insists he made the right decision when he pulled the trigger on that trade.
“We got our first-round pick in September in Trent Richardson,” Grigson said at the Scouting Combine. “Overall feeling is he’s a tough, good, talented football player that has a broad skill set that’s still learning what we do. We’re optimistic about his future.”
Asked directly if he would make the same trade over again, Grigson answered, “Yes.”
That may be true, or it may simply be Grigson trying to put a happy face on a decision that has turned out to be a mistake. Richardson averaged less than three yards a carry for the Colts in the regular season, and he was even worse in the playoffs, with four carries for one yard and one fumble. That’s not what anyone expected when the Colts traded for Richardson.
“Trent expects what we expect, and that’s greatness,” Grigson said. “He has expectations of himself to be great. I think he’s in a great place and we’re in a great place with him. We’re looking forward to having a great offseason with him.”
Colts coach Chuck Pagano made similar comments.
“The sky’s the limit for Trent, having a full offseason with us,” Pagano said. “I look for great things from Trent. Trent looks for great things from himself. Moving forward, there’s high expectations there, not only from us but that he has for himself.”
There were high expectations from the day the Colts traded for Richardson. Richardson has fallen far short of those expectations.
