Trent Richardson missing Raiders training camp, hasn't reached weight goals

Over the first three days of camp, both Rod Streater and Trent Richardson have not practiced. They were placed on the Non-football illness list which is different than the injury list. The question was what kind of ‘illness' would cause both of them to be absent for the first three days of camp.

Up to now, Jack Del Rio had not divulged any details on the two players except to say they were "day to day" and that their issues weren't major.

Today following practice he noted that Streater and Richardson have different issues they're dealing with and expanded upon Richardson's situation, notably that he has yet to reach the weight goals placed upon him by the team.

"Trent is here, he came back very close to the weight, which was a pretty ambitious goal to get to and he's down in the low 220s," said Del Rio. "That's what we asked of him, that's where he was as a player at 'Bama. I really believe with him committing himself like that and getting himself in that type of shape, he'll have a chance to come out here and show what he's really capable of."

When it was initially noted that it was an "illness" that was keeping Richardson off the practice field, the first thing that came to my mind was a weight concern because it was in part because of the weight that the Colts released him this offseason after they had traded a first round pick to the Browns to acquire him just a season ago.

The Raiders took a chance on Richardson in the hopes that the he could return to the form he showed in college that had him drafted third overall just three years ago. And it's clear they will accept nothing less.

While Richardson continues to miss camp, Latavius Murray has a strangle hold on the top running back spot, Roy Helu is the scat back, and Michael Dyer is threatening to take Richardson's roster spot. Every day that goes by without Richardson on the field, his job becomes more and more in jeopardy.

To be fair, Del Rio's comments about Richardson suggest he was optimistic in how close Richardson is to reaching the "ambitious" weight goal the Raiders set for him to reach. And should he reach it, there is still time to live up to the team's hopes for him.

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