On Monday, Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur released his first preseason depth chart with rookie running back Trent Richardson listed as the starter in the backfield. On Tuesday, Richardson wasn't in the Browns' backfield but instead on the sidelines resting a sore left knee.
According to Mary Kay Cabot, Richardson will undergo an MRI as a precaution to make sure there are no major concerns with the knee the rookie had arthroscopic surgery on in February. Shurmur downplayed the concern but admitted Richardson may sit out the team's preseason opener on Friday against Detroit.
"He had a sore knee,'' said Shurmur. "That's why we held him out. We'll have to evaluate him further, which we'll do here after practice and we'll see where we go from there.''
Shurmur acknowledged, "There's a chance he won't play on Friday. I'm always concerned about injuries. I think at this point, we'll just find out what it is. He's been practicing well and he's just a little bit sore right now, so we'll just see where he is.''
The Browns have high expectations for Richardson in his rookie season so making sure he makes it through the grind of training camp healthy and ready to play when the season starts is far more important than playing in the preseason opener.
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