Three years ago, no one would have expected this.

After two different teams, a lopsided trade where the Colts gave up a first-round pick, and tons of ineffectiveness in between, 24-year-old out of a job. Richardson was a highly touted prospect out of Alabama that warranted the third-overall pick in the 2012 draft, and inside of the span of 35 months, he is now a free agent.

Calling Trent Richardson's career an abject failure up to this point is almost inadequate. Over the past two seasons with the Colts, his 3.08 yards per carry average is the worst in the league among running backs with at least 250 totes.

But is he actually "done" in the NFL? Can we give up all hope on Richardson, or does he still have something to offer a team, like he thinks? Let's see what the advanced metrics say.

Factory of Sadness in Indy

If you're new to numberFire, we don't quantify a player's ability in terms of just yardage and touchdowns. Because all situations on the playing field are not created equal, we analyze football in 240 pounds during the 2014 season with the Colts. That's not to say he'd be significantly better near his pre-college weight of 210 pounds, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

Who knows what's next for Trent Richardson. He could technically get another shot for a team on a one-year tryout with virtually no guaranteed money and come at a very low risk for an organization. Perhaps that's what will happen. But given the metrics, we shouldn't be thinking optimistically.