Sony Michel ‘surprised’ Patriots traded him to the Rams
The Los Angeles Rams shook up their backfield earlier this week by acquiring former first-round pick running back Sony Michel from the New England Patriots.
The move came without any previous chatter. It puts Michel in the mix in Los Angeles to play a significant factor in the backfield. In his first press conference with the team, the Georgia product voiced that the move came as a complete surprise.
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“I was surprised,” Sony Michel said about being traded via ESPN. “I would assume that most people, when they’re traded, they’re surprised a little bit.”
The surprised emotions aside, the Rams offer Michel a chance to re-establish himself as an effective running back. Last season, he missed seven games due to injury, recording 449 rushing yards on 79 carries with a touchdown.
It’s a significant drop-off from his first two years, where he tallied north of 900 rushing yards as one of the primary ground game options in New England. Michel hasn’t proven to be a huge factor as a receiver. He has 26 career receptions for 258 yards and one touchdown.
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He will also have the chance to expand on that in Los Angeles as the team lacks depth at the position. After Cam Akers suffered his torn Achilles tendon last month, it placed Darrell Henderson as the primary workhorse option.
The move to acquire Michel came after Henderson suffered a hand injury that will keep him out of the rest of the preseason. It’s a short adjustment period for the 26-year-old but an extremely promising situation in Los Angeles.
