The Los Angeles Rams lost starting running back Cam Akers for the season due to an Achilles injury and recently waived Raymond Calais after he broke his foot. Darrell Henderson also just suffered a thumb sprain a few days ago. While Henderson should be good to go for the season opener against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 12, the Rams wanted to improve their depth at running back after all these injuries, and they've done that by acquiring Sony Michel from the New England Patriots.
Los Angeles announced the deal is “for undisclosed draft picks,” and multiple reports are out there saying the Patriots are getting a fifth- and sixth-round pick. However, New England will likely get a fourth-round pick instead. Per The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue, if the Rams get a fourth-round comp pick for John Johnson after he departed for the Cleveland Browns, that pick will wind up going to the Patriots rather than those two other picks.
Michel spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with New England. The 26-year-old had a big rookie season, going for 931 yards on the ground and six touchdowns in the regular season. He then had a monster postseason with 336 yards and six touchdowns in three games en route to a Super Bowl victory. The running back scored the only touchdown in the Super Bowl victory over his new team in the Rams.
Michel had a similarly productive season on the ground in Year 2, but he took a step back in 2020. In just nine games played, he rushed 79 times for 449 yards and a score.
With Los Angeles so thin in the backfield, the franchise clearly felt the need to upgrade at the position ahead of the 2021 season. This price is a bit steep for Michel, but the Rams are hoping he can help play a big role in a run to the Super Bowl.
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