No limits for Browns’ Richardson

Cleveland running back heads into training camp healthy

Despite not being close to 100 percent because of injuries in his rookie season, Trent Richardson finished with 950 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Browns.

BEREA, Ohio — Trent Richardson’s second NFL season has already started better than his first.

Richardson, who battled injuries throughout his rookie year, reported to training camp healthy and has already been practicing with Cleveland’s rookies.

“Richardson has been full-go,” first-year Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said Monday. “He’s been practicing these last few days and looks good.”

That’s welcomed news for the Browns, who are counting on Richardson to be at full speed after he was kept out of spring practices with a shin injury and played most of last season with two broken ribs.

Despite not being close to 100 percent, Richardson, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2012, started 15 games and rushed for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He also had 51 receptions for 367 yards and one TD.

Richardson’s injury problems carried into the offseason. He was sidelined from organized team activities in May by a strained muscle in his right shin. The Browns were overly cautious with Richardson, who promised he would be on the field for the first day of training camp.

He reported over the weekend along with other Cleveland players coming off injuries and a few veterans.

Richardson missed all of the exhibition season last year while recovering from knee surgery, and while he did all he could to stay up with his teammates off the field, the time away forced the former Alabama star to learn Cleveland’s offense on the fly when he returned.

Richardson injured his ribs in the Browns’ sixth game, but he continued to play and did not reveal that his ribs were broken until after the season. He missed Cleveland’s finale with a sprained ankle.

Gordon sorry for drug suspension

Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has apologized for being suspended for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

Gordon was suspended for the first two games of the upcoming season by the league.

Gordon, who was also fined two additional game checks for the violation, spoke about his penalties on Monday for the first time.

Gordon apologized to his teammates and Cleveland fans. He wants to earn the trust of the team’s front office and acknowledged that his suspension “hurt a lot of people.”

He wants to move on from the suspension and Gordon maintains he does not have a substance-abuse problem. He claims he failed a drug test because cough medicine he was taking for strep throat contained codeine — a banned substance.

He has not yet spoken with members of Cleveland’s new front office about his issues. He was selected in last year’s supplemental draft by the team’s previous regime.

“I have not sat down with them, but I was told by other people that definitely they’re supporting me, in my corner,” he said. “That’s good to know. I’m definitely still trying to regain their trust and our front office’s trust, our team’s trust, just to prove to them that they can count on me.”

Gordon was twice suspended in college for using marijuana.

NOTES: Rookie LB Barkevious Mingo was relieved to have his four-year, $16 million contract signed and said his only goal this season is “to play football.” Mingo would not divulge his weight, but said he’s “bigger than I was when I got here. I’m getting stronger and bigger, but I’m keeping my quickness.”