Indianapolis Colts: Player Most Likely To Break Out In 2014

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the up-and-coming teams in the NFL. After going 2-14 in 2011, the Colts drafted Andrew Luck first overall and have since made the playoffs in each of the past two years.

The Colts have a good mix of young talent and proven veterans, but they’ll need some of their guys to break out in 2014 if they’re going to take the next step and reach the AFC Championship Game.

The sleeper for the Colts this year indeed came from the 2012 NFL Draft, just like Luck—but he wasn’t drafted by the Colts.

The third pick in the draft that year, Trent Richardson was supposed to be an elite running back. But so far, he’s done nothing but disappoint.

As a rookie with the Cleveland Browns, Richardson was solid. He ran for 950 yards and caught 51 balls for another 367 yards. He also tallied 12 scores, with 11 coming on the ground.

While Richardson produced some solid numbers as a rookie, he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and fumbled three times. He also never ran for more than 32 yards on a single carry.

Entering his sophomore season, Richardson was supposed to be the star of the Browns’ offense. So it came as a huge surprise when Richardson was traded to the Colts for a 2014 first round pick. At the time, it looked like the Colts took advantage of the Browns, but after seeing Richardson play 14 games in a Colts uniform, more people are calling him a bust and don’t think he was worth a first round pick.

Considering he hasn’t topped 1,000 rushing yards or averaged more than 3.6 yards per carry in a single season, Richardson hasn’t lived up to the hype he had coming out of college just yet. But this will be the year he breaks out and proves he’s worth every penny.

Sure, we all saw T-Rich struggle after being traded last season. He looked lost on the field, and there might be a good reason for that. He said he struggled to understand the Colts’ playbook last year, but he’s learned it now.

People expect a running back to just get the ball and run straight ahead. But in a complex NFL offense, that’s not how it works. If you don’t understand what the line is trying to do and exactly where the holes should be, you’re going to hesitate for a fraction of a second (like we often saw Richardson do last year). That can be the difference between a seven-yard gain or a three-yard loss in the pros—and we saw how damaging that can be last year.

However, Richardson has had almost a full year to learn the playbook now, and he should feel comfortable in Indianapolis now. And that’s not the only reason he could return to form in 2014.

Despite his struggles last year, Richardson remains firmly entrenched as the Colts’ lead back. In June, the team said that he has a chance to be a three-down back (https://linkonym.appspot.com/?http://http://www.footballnation.com/content/indianapolis-colts-player-most-likely-to-break-out-2014/30393/www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24598202/report-colts-trent-richardson-has-chance-to-be-3-down-back)—a rare breed bordering on extinct in the NFL today. And that was before one of his competitors, Vick Ballard, tore his Achilles and was ruled out for the year.

With Ballard out of the picture, the Colts are relying on Richardson and the injury-prone Ahmad Bradshaw (he’s only ever played in 16 games once). Without much competition at the position, Richardson should remain Indy’s guy.

In addition to the fact that Richardson could be given 225-275 carries by default, he should have a better offensive line in front of him.

The Colts’ O-line was absolutely atrocious last year. Whether it be pass protection or making holes for Richardson and the team’s running backs, the line struggled to do much of anything. How many times did we see Richardson hit before he reached the line of scrimmage? The answer: a lot.

The team spent its top pick on guard Jack Mewhort out of Ohio State. The team will also get Donald Thomas back from an injury. There’s a decent chance these two will start for the Colts and will be a considerable upgrade over what the team had last year. Combine them with two solid tackles in Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus, and the Colts should be able to give Richardson some holes to run through.

Despite the fact that he looked like such a stud coming out of college, Richardson has been written off by far too many people. We’ve seen backs struggle after a midseason trade before they come back the next year to play well again. Why can’t Richardson do it?

The best comparison for Richardson is Marshawn Lynch. After being traded from the Buffalo Bills to the Seattle Seahawks in the middle of the 2010 season, Lynch failed to live up to the billing. He ran for just 573 yards in 12 games (165 carries), averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. That’s’ pretty similar to Richardson’s decline.

But Lynch was able to bounce back after a full offseason with the Seahawks, posting 285 carries for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns and 28 catches for 212 yards and another score the following year. He was the fifth-best fantasy back that year.

If Richardson could have a similar year, the Colts would be ecstatic about the trade they made. And why shouldn’t he? He just as physically gifted as Lynch (10 pounds heavier, faster 40-yard dash) and is playing in an offense with an even better passing attack. The Colts have a ton of offensive firepower, meaning Richardson shouldn’t face too many stacked boxes.

With Colts GM Ryan Grigson calling Richardson out earlier this week, it’s time for the stud running back to finally break out and reach his potential in Indy.