Jim Brown: Calls Trent Richardson “Ordinary”
Jim Brown is one of the greatest football players of all time criticized the idea of the Browns taking Trent Richardson prior to the draft, but calling him “ordinary.” And he hasn’t backed off
“When you think of greatness and the great backs, they all had some individual traits that you can identify – quickness, balance, power, speed,” Brown said. “I think the kid is a good working back, and if you’ve got everything else around him he can play his role. But when it comes to outstanding, I don’t see anything outstanding about him. It’s not said in a cruel manner. He’s very efficient, and that’s what you want.”
This sounds like another case of a great player who isn’t ready to pass on the torch. I’d also say in the modern day N.F.L. the top backs in the league seem to be more well rounded backs as opposed to guys who have one identifiable trait. Maurice Jones Drew, Arian Foster, Matt Forte, Ray Rice are all great players, but they have well rounded games and are not guys who rely just on speed or elusiveness. They have all terrific vision and can contribute in the passing game as well. LeSean McCoy excels because of his elite quickness and balance, but I wouldn’t say it takes no trait to make a great back in today’s N.F.L. I’d also add that to me Richardson does have two great traits that could make him instantly one of the league’s best running backs that Brown himself mentioned–power and balance. Richardson is extremely powerful and showcases brilliant balance.
Now if Brown is saying that on a historical time line of running backs Trent Richardson might not be anything more than an ordinary back I can kind of see where he’s coming from. Maybe he’ll never be Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, or Emmit Smith, but the criticism seems to be coming from some other place than just pure evaluation–perhaps it has something to do with being fired by Mike Holmgren?
We’ll wait to see if Brown is right about Richardson. Or if the draftnik community is right about Richardson-one of the best players in the 2012 NFL Draft and a future Hall of Fame caliber back (and if you’re a running back selected in the top 3 that’s what you’re expected to be).
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