It might be premature to hoist a red flag over Trent Richardson's 2013 season.
It was reported earlier Tuesday that the Cleveland Browns plan to hold their ailing running back out of action until August, but NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported, via two sources informed of the player's injury, that the team and Richardson do not believe his shin injury is serious.
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The Browns are holding Richardson out of minicamp as a precaution, but the team doesn't believe the issue will stop him from being ready for the first day of training camp in July.
Richardson's injury -- which might have been caused by over-training -- is similar to shin splints. The condition can be aggravated by continued use. Rapoport reported that Richardson probably could practice now, but there is a risk it could exacerbate things.
Richardson dealt with two knee surgeries and broken ribs to get through a promising rookie season. This seems to be a situation where the Browns are taking every precaution they can in an attempt to give Richardson a clean bill of health in Week 1.
If it's true that Richardson's injury isn't serious, it might be an overcautious strategy. But the Browns will live with that label rather than the opposite.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
