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Cleveland Plain Dealer



By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
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on July 16, 2013 at 9:55 PM, updated July 16, 2013 at 10:03 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trent Richardson has been sprinting pain-free, is 100 percent healthy and expects to be ready for the start of Browns training camp next week.

"I have no pain at all in the leg,'' he said by phone before a Tuesday pool workout in Pensacola, Fla. "I'll be ready for camp and I'll be ready to go for the season."

Richardson, who sat out the mandatory June minicamp and the final week of organized team activities with a muscle strain in his right shin, said he won't miss a beat when training camp opens July 25 with a 4 p.m. practice.

"I'll be full-go right from the get-go and y'all out there will see me flying around," he said. "I can't wait to get out there and I can't wait for the first game. I've been waiting forever for this season and I know it's going to be a good one for us.''

Richardson began his running program June 24 in Pensacola, running two days in the water to every one on land. But recently, he's kicked it up to two days on land, two days in the water.

"I've been doing sprints, a lot of plyometrics (jump-training) and a lot of quick-twitch work," he said. "It's a lot of muscle-memory stuff designed to get the explosion back."

Richardson is particularly excited about his first healthy NFL preseason. A year ago, his arthroscopically-repaired knee was hurting right from the start, and had to have it cleaned again Aug. 9, which kept him out of all four preseason games.

"I'm going to be out there in camp having fun this time," he said. "My knee's not hurting. Last year, I was pretty banged up coming into the camp and I didn't even know it. When I was walking, my leg, sometimes it just wouldn't catch and so it kind of gave out on me. This will be the first time I'm going into an NFL with no surgeries or anything like that.''

Richardson said sitting out last month was precautionary.

"Coach (Rob Chudzinski) is smart and he's going to make the best decision," said Richardson. "If he tells me to sit down and rest up, I'm going to sit down. It was the off-season, and there was no reason to take it that far and hurt yourself real bad.''

Richardson rushed for 950 yards and 11 TDs last season, despite sitting out the final game and playing most of the season with broken ribs. He said he learned the hard way not to push it.

"Everybody knows me," he said. "I played the whole season with broken ribs and nobody even knew it. I ran for the first time on the Thursday before the season started and I played on Sunday without making any cuts or anything. So that tells you a lot about my character, as far as me being strong-minded and willing to play hurt.''

Richardson will report at his prescribed weight of 225, down about seven pounds from last season.

"I really couldn't run that much last year to keep the weight down,'' he said. "Your ribs are connected to everything, so I really couldn't run full speed. But now I can, and the system that we're running with coach Chudzinski and coach (Norv) Turner makes you believe in yourself, too.''

Richardson said he was "average" in his rookie season, which resulted in a 3.6-yard rushing average.

"When you look at first downs and (11) touchdowns and things like that, you can't compare me to what a lot of other guys did last year," he said.

On Tuesday, Richardson conducted a free football camp for 350 kids at his alma mater, Escambia High. He's also spent a lot of time with another Escambia alum, Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, who won the rushing title three times under Turner in Dallas.

"Just being able to learn from him is more than than I can ask for,'' said Richardson. "He's still the NFL's all-time leading rusher right now until somebody goes and gets him. One day, hopefully I'll be the one to go get him.''

Sprinting pain-free is a good place to start.

Great news heading into TC. Also, great decision making by Chudzinski, et. al. on handling Richardson's health up to this point.

Rally exciting article - hope he stays healthy and happy he realizes he needs to be much more than average

I just hope that he's 100% going into the season .....

Actual real information about our football team! This must mean football is coming!

Best news I've heard in a while. I'm looking forward to seeing Richardson in a Norv Turner offense. Camps just around the corner....

I'm hoping he studs out. He was a HUGE investment. We need him to be extraordinary. It's exciting to think about him being a great back, but right now---I am in the "show me" camp.

Dear Lord.... camp opens a week from tomorrow!!!!!

I'm not sure whether to be excited for football, or sad because it is a sign of summer ending soon.

OK, so this is a good "first" step to a healthy Richardson. Living in Mobile, Al I have alot of Alabama fans always asking me about TR. It was had to give a full endorsement last year based on injuries. This year, lets hope that's different.

WOW! This is great news. Glad to read about his workouts. Quicker, faster, and ready for TC. It is a beautiful thing. Hurry up, Football. I miss you.

I was just gonna post a similar story... but now I'm not! lol!

Anyhow, good to hear the news about Trent... (Now only if we had Vickers again, blocking for him. Hot damn!)

Show me

Now we can go 16-0.

Good news, but one's gotta ask... for how long and can he stay 100%?

I am really rooting ya for Trent. I hope this injury stuff is now just a piece of history...

No doubt, but flags have already been risen. We don't have as much concern for say a Joe Thomas staying healthy as one may have for a Trent Richardson staying healthy.

We'll see, camp is now a short distance away. This will be test #1.

Quote:

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Good news, but one's gotta ask... for how long and can he stay 100%?

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How long are most NFL running backs really at 100%?

The dude played in 15 games, was 11th in the NFL in attempts and 18th in yards... on an offense that looked like it was drawn in the dirt.

I just don't want to go on the "should we cut him now" watch any time he tweaks an ankle...

I'd have to disagree to an extent, and I believe another poster mentioned this above.

There are red flags with TRich so far. Not so much with the rest of the 53. Hopefully, that is not a future indication of more injuries to come, but I do think it's something to consider.

I hope we see a T Rich with some burst this season. Honestly his running was killing me last year. Hardesty was exploding through gaps and yet we had t rich playing with broken ribs. A second round pick just sitting on the bench endlessly. I find it strange more people don't bemoan the issue of having 1st and 2nd round rbs on the roster.

I am kind of a sour puss when it comes to t riches running. I prefer barry sanders types to emmit smith types very strongly. I really hope t rich is all healed up by week 1. I suspect I will quit whining about it once 2013 starts up.

A non story, he already was 100%. Precautionary meant precautionary, why not believe it. They wouldn't lie about something so non consequential.

In other news. Go Browns!

im less concerned with him being 100% in the middle of july, than i am him being 100% come december.

he certainly has the potential to be a top 10 back in the NFL, but he will never reach that if he cant stay healthy.

fingers crossed. i actually dont even care to see him getting all the reps he "should" in august, im more interested in him being 100% healthy come the opener.

hope chud holds him back a little bit as a precautionary measure through camp and preseason.

I think it has already been stated he isn't going to be a preseason workhorse.

Trent 100%

I wouldn't be against sitting him for the the majority of the preseason. I feel a series or two would be good for TR to get his legs back, but, you have to protect your starters as much as you can during preseason and slim your roster down to your 53 man fighting force.

I will be monitoring how well we put a hole in front of him. Hopefully better blocking and blocking scheme. Wouldn't hurt to call some holes other than Mack's right, Mack's left. Predictable with crazy numbers in the box. Get him outside as well some. I think variety could help as well. Less dance, more pound.

Mid July.. cue the rah rah articles. Lets see it Trent.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner has coached some of the best running backs in the history of the game, including the NFL's all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith and former MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, and Turner thinks Trent Richardson stacks up.

"Just watching him and seeing him against us when I came here in October and then watching the tape, yeah, he’s that type of runner,'' said Turner. "Obviously he’s the third pick in the draft. I think he has a lot of great days ahead of him. I always have a problem comparing players because each guy has his own unique style, but I think he’s capable of doing great things.”

Turner, who's produced the NFL's rushing champion on five occasions, thinks Richardson will carry the ball 300 times -- even in this pass-happy league. Last season, he rushed 267 times for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns.

"Obviously, the trend in the league is to not do that, but I think it depends on your team and everyone around it,'' Turner said today. "If that player is your best player, then I think it’s probably a good thing to have him in the game and give him the ball. So I would hope Trent would have that many carries. That means he’s playing healthy and playing at a pretty high level.''

Turner said Richardson, who reported last week along with rookies, quarterbacks and players coming off injuries, has already looked good in pre-camp practices and that the club will be smart with him in camp, coming off a muscle strain in his right shin.

"I don’t think he’ll take a beating at all in our training camp practices,'' Turner said. "I think Coach (Rob Chudzinski) and our trainers and our doctors have put together a really good plan for Trent. I think he’s going to get as much work as he needs to get ready and then we’ll make sure he’s fresh and healthy, but he’s going to get his share of the work in this camp like every player. When I started this thing off, you have to put a lot of time in. It takes a lot of work to be ready to play in this league. He needs to go through the same process everyone else does.”

At the same time, he thinks Richardson will be able to overcome the time he missed in the final week of organized team activities and minicamp.

"I think the running back position is a little bit unique,'' Turner said. "Those guys rely so much on their physical skills, their natural ability. He’s sharp. The mental part was no problem. He’ll get his share of reps. The best runners I’ve been around, they start off and stay within the system and they let their natural ability do a lot of the damage. Their natural ability is a lot of reason for their success.”

But the other backs on the roster will also get a good look in camp, and some will get their share of carries during the season too. The backfield in spring practices featured plenty of mixing and matching with Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya, Dion Lewis and Brandon Jackson.

"I think Rob has done as good a job of that as anybody, being versatile and doing a lot of different things,'' said Turner. "That’s what our system is based on, trying to get as many people involved. I tell our guys in the meeting room, I’d like to have 16 starters on offense. You’d like to have a lot of guys feel when the ball is kicked off on Sunday they’re going to have a chance to help your team win. We want to find out what our guys can do and then give them the chance to do it.”

Question is, will Turner use a traditional fullback in this offense? And will third-year fullback Owen Marecic make the team after being benched much of last season by the guys who drafted him in the fourth round?

"The beauty of this offense is that it's versatile enough that you have success with the players you have,'' he said. "We've used a variety of different styles of fullback and have been very productive and I can go all the way back into the mid-90s where we had a converted tailback playing fullback with the Redskins and Terry Allen rushed for 1,500 yards. We're going to make due. We're going to take the guys that we have and find out what they do best and give them a chance to do that. We will end up, I believe, with a traditional fullback in our offense and how much we'll use him will depend on the style of offense we end up running."

He said Ogbonnaya can play fullback if need be.

"He can do some of it,'' said Turner. "He's similar to the guys I talked about back in Washington."

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2013/07/cleveland_browns_oc_norv_turne.html#incart_river

On the "helmet rule", I think they'll be a bit slow in calling that penalty. Running backs have always run like that. To expect them to suddenly and instinctively stop lowering their heads upon contact is just too much to ask.

Getting low is the key to winning the collision. How does a running back "get low" without lowering his head? I would think that using the helmet as a weapon would have to be conclusive in order to make that penalty call. But there's a thin line in judging that.