Sony Michel’s New England tenure ended Wednesday with the Patriots trading him to the Rams for a pair of late-round picks. That’s not a great return for a player drafted 31st overall in 2018, but considering the circumstances, the Patriots were probably lucky to have found a suitor at all. With the emergence of rookie Rhamondre Stevenson (four touchdowns this season) behind presumed starter Damien Harris and passing-down specialist James White, there just wasn’t enough room at the inn for Michel, an injury-prone underachiever who never lived up to his first-round billing.
It looked like the Patriots might be onto something with Michel, who broke out for six touchdowns including the go-ahead score in Super Bowl LIII during New England’s playoff run in 2018. But that optimism proved short-lived with Michel showing little development as a pass-catcher (career 26-258-1 receiving line on 40 targets) while averaging a pedestrian 3.7 yards per carry as a sophomore in 2019. Outside of a couple big runs, including a 48-yard burst against Las Vegas in Week 3, the 26-year-old was similarly ineffective last season, registering just two touchdowns while missing a chunk of games due to COVID and an injured quad.
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Now equipped with the benefit of hindsight, fans on Twitter were quick to mock the Patriots for throwing in the towel on Michel when they could have just drafted his college teammate—perennial Pro Bowler Nick Chubb—who the Browns snatched up four picks later.
Even sharing a backfield with former rushing champ Kareem Hunt, Chubb was still plenty productive last year, topping 1,000 yards for the second straight season while contributing 12 touchdowns and a crisp 5.6 yards per carry, the latter good for fourth among qualified ball-carriers. Despite his success at the University of Georgia, finishing his Athens tenure as the school’s second-leading rusher behind Bulldogs legend Herschel Walker, Chubb was the fourth running back selected in his draft class with Michel, Saquon Barkley and Rashaad Penny all taken ahead of him in 2018.
The Browns recently rewarded Chubb with a three-year, $36-million extension, keeping him in Cleveland through his age-29 season. As for Michel, he’ll hit the market as a free agent next winter after having his fifth-year option declined. Michel, who rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown against Los Angeles in Super Bowl LIII, gives the Rams another back they can turn to in the absence of injured starter Cam Akers (torn Achilles). He’ll presumably work in tandem with Darrell Henderson, a former consensus All-American who tallied six touchdowns (five rushing, one receiving) last season.
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