Isaiah Pead's gotten stiff competition from an unlikely source in the St. Louis Rams' preseason battle to be Steven Jackson's backup: Seventh-round pick Daryl Richardson. Richardson, No. 252 overall out of Division II Abilene Christian, has looked pretty good in the Rams' three preseason games, rushing 22 times for 90 yards and adding 24 more through the air. It's a sturdy performance, but it wouldn't attract much attention—except that Isaiah Pead's preseason has been a mess.
50 yards on 25 carries later (to go with 10 yards on seven receptions), it looks like Richardson could earn significant playing time out of the Rams' backfield. Isaiah Pead's saving grace in the early going—nobody expects him to continue struggling like this—could be his ability as a kick returner; he's looked excellent there.
Nobody was expecting the carries/special teams balance to run quite in that direction, but Turf Show Times's latest suggests the Rams believe they have a place for both of their rookie running backs.