It's now safe to get back on board the Trent Richardson hype machine.
We learned Monday that the Cleveland Browns running back is a "full-go" for training camp, alleviating fears his strained shin muscle would become a lingering concern. Now, Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner is talking about a monster role for Richardson that would include 300 carries.
Just five NFL players eclipsed that total in 2012.
"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 Tuesday, according to The Plain Dealer. "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."
Richardson carried the ball 267 times for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie, battling through a host of injuries in the process. He added 51 catches for 367 yards and one score.
If Richardson eclipses 300 carries and matches his reception total from last year, his touch count would be in the 350 range. That likely would place him somewhere in the top five from a league standpoint. Arian Foster led the NFL in touches last season with 391 (351 carries, 40 receptions).
Turner's comments tell us he believes Richardson can carry the offense, which we kind of already knew. The real question is if Richardson is built to withstand the type of workload the Browns have in mind.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
