Trent Richardson injury: Browns RB expected to sit out minicamp

Richardson is nursing a muscle strain in his lower leg that isn’t serious, according to the Browns; however, a report says otherwise.

by Adam Stites

Jun 4, 2013, 12:50 PM UTC

Eric P. Mull-US PRESSWIRE

Running back Trent Richardson is unlikely to join his team during the three-day mandatory minicamp for the Cleveland Browns that begins Tuesday, as he is trying to recover from a strained muscle in his lower right leg, according to Mark Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

More: For extended coverage on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature

Richardson, 22, played in all but one game during his rookie season, but it was a year that was riddled with injuries for the running back, regardless. He required minor knee surgery in February 2012, before being drafted, and had another minor knee surgery in August. It was also revealed after the season that Richardson played nine games in 2012 with broken ribs.

The Browns have insisted that the decision to keep Richardson off the practice field months before the regular season is strictly precautionary; however, ESPN Cleveland’s Will Burge says otherwise, as he reports that Richardson will be out until August because the team is worried the injury will develop into a stress fracture.

Last week Chris Pokorny of Dawgs By Nature spoke about Richardson’s vow to avoid being injury prone, and he sounded skeptical of the comment:

I understand that players want to believe that injuries won’t be a problem for them, but it is kind of funny to hear Richardson declare that injuries will not plague him like they did in 2012. In the very same interview session with reporters, Richardson spoke about the strained shin muscle that he suffered, saying, “It happened during a practice (but) I really don’t know how.” Yes, that’s exactly the concern -- we don’t know how it happened, but it did...again.

Richardson, the third-overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, finished his rookie season with 950 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, while also contributing 51 receptions, 367 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.