The Facts: With all due respect to Trent Richardson, Hardesty, whom the Browns once had such high hopes for, is certain he's every bit as good as the Browns' top pick. "Oh, yeah," Hardesty said. "That's just confidence. You have to have that in the NFL. I feel like I'm as good any back that's playing in the league. That's how I always feel. I always want to be the best at my position."

Diehards Line:That's not to take anything away from Richardson. It's just that Hardesty, whom the Browns traded up to draft in the second round in 2010, feels he's just as talented. He rushed for 1,345 yards and 13 TDs in his one season as a fulltime starter in college and Richardson rushed for 1,679 yards and 21 TDs in his year as a featured college back. ... Hardesty spent the off-season training with some of the best running backs in the league, including former college teammate Arian Foster. "That's how I know I can still be one of the best in the NFL," he said. Hardesty, who sat out all of 2010 with a torn ACL and much of last season with the torn calf muscle, shed 10 pounds and is back to his college playing weight of 214. He worked with a nutritionist who overhauled his diet, and worked out in the weight room and on the field. He said he's back to his top college speed of 4.4 in the 40. ... None of which will keep him from moving ahead of Richardson on the depth chart. It might, however, keep him on the roster another season.