Former Alabama star not signing with Roughriders after all
He was on his way, and then he wasn't.
That was the sequence of events Tuesday regarding Trent Richardson and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Once regarded as the top running back prospect since Adrian Peterson, Trent Richardson was drafted third overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2012 NFL draft.
The Browns signed Richardson, from the University of Alabama, to a four-year, $20-million contract.
But injuries and other issues derailed Richardson's NFL career to the point where the league's teams won't even give him a look.
Richardson, who had stints with the Browns, Colts, Raiders and Ravens, hasn't played in a regular-season game since 2014.
Enter Chris Jones and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who placed Richardson on their negotiation list at the end of July.
The website 3DownNation reported Tuesday that Richardson was on his way to Regina to finalize a deal.
Shortly after came a report from Alabama sports writer Matt Zenitz, stating Richardson will not come to the CFL if it means being locked into a contract for a second year.
This was the Q&A between Jones and the media on Tuesday after practice.
CHRIS JONES: He's on our neg list. We've had discussions with him. Evidently, there's some problems getting him here. He was supposed to be here already, he's not here. We'll see if he ever makes it across and gets up here to play.
REPORTER: Is there truth he was coming here and then he found out he might have to stick around for a second year and that didn't appeal to him?
JONES: Well, it's one of those deals — a lot of these people think we're in the business of developing NFL players. That's not what we're in the business of doing, we're in the business of winning CFL football games.
REPORTER: When are you expecting him, then?
JONES: I don't even care. I'm trying to beat the Edmonton Eskimos. If he gets here, that's great, he will help our football team, but right now it doesn't even matter to me.
Chris Jones has apparently moved on, but stay tuned just in case.
