Is Trent Richardson the Biggest Bust in the History of the NFL?

Running Back Trent Richardson was just cut by the Baltimore Ravens, making it the fourth different franchise to cut him since he was drafted third overall in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. With regards to the final two franchises, the Oakland Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens, Richardson does not even have any statistical data with these teams because he was cut from those teams before ever having the opportunity to play in any games beyond the preseason. With Richardson’s career seemingly over, the conversation will begin regarding whether or not he is the biggest bust in the history of the National Football League, but it is possible, that Richardson could be spared that designation.

When the comparisons begin between Richardson and other former players who are considered busts, the obvious names that will be mentioned will include Tony Mandarich, JaMarcus Russell and other unsuccessful quarterbacks who washed out before qualifying for their NFL pensions.  However, the single statistic that will keep Richardson from being the worst high draft pick in the history of the league is the fact that after leaving his first franchise, teams were willing to give him a chance, believing that he still had the skills to play in the NFL.

JaMarcus Russell was the first player drafted in the 2007 NFL draft, and was expected to be the Oakland Raiders quarterback of the future. He opened his rookie season as the second-string quarterback, finished as the third-string, but was named the starter before the beginning of the 2008 season. In 2009, Russell was again named as the starter, but by the end of the season, Russell was either the fourth or fifth-string quarterback, depending on who was creating the depth chart, and he was competing for a job with Jason Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye and Kyle Boller. Once the 2009 season was over, Russell was cut by the Raiders, and no other team has to date offered Russell a job in the NFL or in any other professional football league and this is what sets Russell apart from other “busts”.

Akili Smith, Tony Mandarich, David Carr, and any other player who might be on a list of NFL busts have the same stat attached to their careers; they all played for more than one team. Even Todd Marinovich was able to get looks after washing out with the Oakland Raiders, and Richardson fits into this category.

Richardson was cut from his fourth NFL team, which means that after being drafted and washing out, three other teams were willing to give him a look, which means that he has talent, but there is something else that is negatively affecting his ability to play in the NFL. The fact that Russell was never given another chance means that whatever the rest of the league saw during his Raiders stint has soured them on the man from LSU.

Trent Richardson will never be considered one of the best NFL players ever, but the fact that he keeps getting offers means that he is far from the worst.