In a year or two people will look back on this trade as a steal for the Browns. People are way overrating Richardson. I don't care that he was a top 5 pick a year ago. You can usually tell right away with RBs. Richardson is simply not that good. Averaged about 3.6 ypc last year and even less so far this year at 3.4. I'm shocked that they got a first in return for him at this point and smart of the Browns for trading him while he's still worth anything at all. I know it's early to give up on a top 5 pick but he will clearly never live up to that.
As far as the pick being in the 20s...it's better than keeping him and getting a subpar player with nothing else to show for it. His value will only go down over time. And, assuming the pick is in the 20s, that's still extremely valuable. We got Frederick at 31, we got Dez in the 20s, Vince Wolfork went in the 20s, Aaron Rodgers went in the 20s, and on and on. You can get a much better player than Richardson turned out to be in the 20s.
Great trade for the Browns. This is the sort of thing we should have done with Martellus Bennett when Cincinnati wanted him a few years back but we weren't smart enough to do it.
Not that good? Compared to what?
He may not have been worth the 3rd pick in the draft, but he's certainly more valuable than a pick in the 20s. They had someone who was a proven performer, and he was easily the best player on their offense. Now they have to hope they hit on a pick in the 20s, which is no sure thing by a long shot. Sure you can list some players who have panned out who were picked in the 20s, but there are just as many busts in the 20s.
They could have kept him and still got their QB with their pick in Round 1. As it is, now when they pick a QB next year, he's either going to have to carry the load or they're going to have to draft another RB. Sounds like a great idea huh... Let's pick Bridgewater and make him have to throw it 50 times a game as a rookie.
To compare this to what we should have done with Martellus Bennet is ridiculous. He was a backup TE to a hall of famer, and was never going to see many passes here. Richardson was Cleveland's whole offense.
