Eyebrows arched last week when the Oakland Raiders handed running back Trent Richardson a two-year contract worth up to $3.85 million.
A closer look at the deal gives us a better idea how much the Raiders are risking on the downtrodden former third overall pick.
The Baltimore Sun reports that Richardson received $600,000 in guaranteed money in the deal. It's not a huge figure, but it shows that Oakland is taking more than just a flier on Richardson, who averaged 3.1 yards a carry during his calamitous two-year run with the Colts.
The Raiders and general manager Reggie McKenzie must be at least somewhat confident a change of scenery will allow Richardson to return to the promising form he had as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns in 2012, when he rushed for 950 yards and had 12 total touchdowns.
That seems like a long time ago, but Richardson is still just 24 years old. If he puts the commitment into being an NFL running back -- a legitimate concern -- he still has a chance to be remembered as something other than an epic draft bust.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast makes some bold free agency predictions and discusses Adrian Peterson's future. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
