The Indianapolis Colts may look at the release or trade of Trent Richardson following his suspension at the end of last season and if that happens, players like DeAngelo Williams, Frank Gore, Mark Ingram and Shane Vereen could be potential free agent targets for Andrew Luck, as running back Ahmad Bradshaw is a free agent and could be allowed to walk.
The Colts are expected to be active in free agency, as Ryan Grigson said at the combine that they will look at being "aggressive" after the progress made this season. Many expect the team to look at running backs, as Ahmad Bradshaw is a free agent and Trent Richardson has had his issues. According to Bleacher Report, Frank Gore is expected to be a target and he could be an option along with DeAngelo Williams, who was just released by the Panthers.
Andrew Luck needs a more consistent rushing game after the way Richardson played last season. Richardson was suspended in the playoffs and now his future is up in the air. According to Pro Football Talk, Molly Grantham on Twitter reported that the Panthers have released Williams, as he dealt wioth injuries last year and now saves the team money on the cap.
Williams rushed for just 219 yards last season did not score a touchdown while missing 10 games and that was his lowest output since he played in six games in 2010. Williams missed just one game between 2011-13, but he has not rushed for over 1000 yards since 2009. Williams's best season was back in 2008 when he had 1518 yards and 18 touchdowns while also playing in all 16 games. Williams rushed for at least 1100 yards in back to back seasons and in that span he had 25 touchdowns for Carolina.
Richardson was the third pick in the draft behind Andrew Luck and the Colts were hoping he could help boost the rushing game after trading a first round pick for him. Richardson had a strong rookie season with 950 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns along with 51 receptions, but since then he has been a major disappointment. Richardson has not averaged more than 3.6 yards per carry in any of his three seasons in the NFL and now his future is up in the air after losing his job to Dan Herron this season.
The Colts traded a top pick for Richardson last year and he had an inconsistent season after that, but many expected improvement with a full year with the team. That did not happen and now other teams could be interested in Richardson if he is traded or released. The team benched Richardson last year for Donald Brown at one point and this season he lost carries to Dan Herron and Zurlon Tipton late in the year. The Colts made it to the AFC championship and played three playoff games, but Richardson only had one carry and that came in the matchup with the Colts in the first round.