Sony Michel seemed like a key building block for the New England Patriots when they drafted him in the first round in 2018. And yet Bill Belichick agreed to trade the running back for a pair of late-round draft picks on Wednesday.
The Patriots have agreed to trade Michel for a fifth- and sixth-round pick. The conditions of the trade state, however, that if the Rams get a compensatory fourth-rounder (from John Johnson), the Patriots will get that pick, rather than the package of picks, per the Athletic’s Jordan Rodrique.
Michel helped carry the Patriots to a Super Bowl win in 2018 when his playoff production was highly impressive (71 carries, 336 yards, 7 TDs). The rest of his career has been plagued with injuries and mediocrity. It wasn’t until the end of last season — when he was more of a change-of-pace back — when he finally looked like the same explosive player he was in college.