Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Trent Richardson Trade

I was all set to write about the Hall of Fame and the progress certain players have made towards it, but then the Browns went out and decided to hijack this post by trading Trent Richardson to the Colts for the Colts first round pick in the 2014 draft.

To say this trade surprised me would be a major understatement. While I was never a big fan of Richardson, he was a solid player and one of the pieces I thought the Browns could build around in years to come. Clearly, the organization had other ideas. Every piece of information I got from the press conference the Browns had was that they clearly valued Richardson less than the previous regime and the fans did. I can understand, since the previous regime and many fans believed that Richardson was a do-it-all elite level running back. I found him to be overrated in that regard. I view his as a quality power back with enough moves to get by, but also reliant on dominant blocking to make big plays down the field. I thought he was closer to a Steven Jackson type than an Adrian Peterson type, who he was compared to at times going into the draft. That’s hardly a bad thing, just not as good as many think.

For the Colts, this does work out to a great trade. They get a back who can be a workhorse and bring a sense of toughness to the running game for only a first round pick. Considering he was the third overall pick in the same draft that they got their franchise quarterback in, a first round pick feels like a steal. Especially if they can keep him and Andrew Luck together for the next ten years.

For the Browns, it’s the equivalent of throwing the towel in for this season. Richardson was the most consistent weapon they could count on offensively. While Jordan Cameron has played well, he’s a big question mark going forward. There’s just no way to tell how his numbers are going to be affected by the return of Josh Gordon or if he will remain a viable option as the season unfolds. Brandon Weeden has been terrible, which is hardly surprising to me. Just too much change and not enough time to acclimate to the NFL for him to really have a chance to be successful. Combined that with the suspension to Josh Gordon and the inconsistent play of the other receivers, not to mention the horrible play of Oniel Cousins, who is currently playing right guard, it’s not surprising the Browns field one of the worst offenses in the NFL right now.

The next question for the Browns really is who is next? The idea that Brian Hoyer starting the next game could spell the end for Brandon Weeden in Cleveland sounds to me like a fairly accurate assessment. They want to see what they have in Hoyer and if he’ll be a viable option at quarterback going forward. If he fails, then he’ll likely be out the door with Weeden. But what about Cameron, Alex Mack or Josh Gordon? All were products of the previous regime and are not as close to the fans hearts as Richardson was. 


Personally, I think they should re-sign Mack and let other players play out their contract. Cameron might be a candidate for the franchise tag, but I think it’s totally based on whether or not there is a better option in free agency or the draft. I understand wanting to get more players who fit the system, but I am not a fan of giving up quality players just for the sake of fit. They did it once with Richardson, and they really can’t afford to do it too much going forward. Though I think Greg Little could be playing for his job long-term right now. 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

HOF Report; Week 1

Building Legacies

 Peyton Manning:  He tied Brett Favre with his 23rd game with 4 plus touchdown passes as well as tying the all-time single game touchdown record, the first one to do so in 44 years. Hard to do better than that. There’s nothing left for him to do to make himself a Hall of Famer, but in the annals of the all-time greats, this performances is just another benchmark by which his statistics are marked.