Cam Akers tore his Achilles. Raymond Calais fractured his foot. Darrell Henderson Jr. banged up his hand and sprained his thumb in a span of two weeks.
Luck has not been on the side of Rams running backs this summer and the team has said enough is enough. Los Angeles traded two conditional draft picks to the Patriots for Sony Michel, a former first-round pick out of Georgia.
Sean McVay hasn’t sounded very motivated to add a running back in wake of the rash of injuries at the position, but perhaps Henderson’s minor thumb sprain on Monday was the straw that broke the camel’s back. And even if Henderson didn’t tweak his thumb in practice this week, the Rams would’ve been smart to explore outside help.
This trade for Michel looks like a wise move to not only add depth, but also some proven talent. Michel has started 28 games and played 38 in three seasons, which is more than the Rams’ entire running back room combined; Henderson has played 28 and started 11.
Jake Funk is an intriguing rookie out of Maryland and has looked good in the preseason, but he’s also torn his ACL twice and injured his wrist in the past. Xavier Jones has shown a lot as a former undrafted free agent, but he’s never played an offensive snap in the NFL. Calais was supposed to be the fourth running back but he’ll miss 4-6 months and was waived/injured this week.
McVay has said that it’s not an ability question with Henderson, but rather an availability thing for him. He missed three games as a rookie with an ankle injury that required surgery. He had a high-ankle sprain that caused him to miss three games (one regular season, two postseason) last year, raising even more questions about his durability.
His hand and wrist injuries in practice the last two weeks aren’t anything major, but it continues a troubling trend of Henderson struggling to stay healthy. That’s where Michel helps in a big way.
The Rams are well aware of the need to keep Henderson fresh, something McVay has discussed several times in the last month.
“I think he’s got the ability, there’s no doubt about it. It’s really just kind of figuring out what’s going to be the best – I don’t want to say pitch count – but the best way to utilize him and really have the big picture in mind,” McVay said last month. “He’s our most established guy without a doubt. I think we’re excited to see who develops and who really establishes themselves behind him. As far as the three-down (back), I know he’s capable of doing that. If we feel like that’s the best approach, we’ll do that. That’s the most important thing is what’s best for Darrell and the Rams.”
That sounds like a coach who wants a timeshare in the backfield, but clearly McVay didn’t feel confident enough giving a big workload to Jones or Funk. Hence, the trade for Michel, a former first-round pick with 535 career carries and 2,292 yards under his belt – three times what Henderson has produced in his two seasons.
Now the Rams hopefully have a player who can complement Henderson in the backfield. Henderson was always better suited as a slasher, change-of-pace back. He’s elusive in the open field, more than comfortable catching passes and can break off long runs. Michel is quite the opposite. Henderson has caught 20 passes for 196 yards in just 28 games (440 total snaps). Michel has caught 26 passes for 258 yards in 38 games (921 snaps).
As you can see, Michel isn’t exactly a receiving threat out of the backfield. He’ll be the between-the-tackles runner who sets the tone on first and second down, even if he’s not a big, bruising runner. Henderson can do that, too, but now he can stay fresh on third down and in passing situations.
Obviously, the 38- and 48-yard runs were Sony Michel's biggest highlights, and the 38-yarder was especially impressive. But these two runs were equally encouraging. Running through arm tackles, decisive cuts, finishing strong. Looked like a different player yesterday. pic.twitter.com/8xm2UmxTy0
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) September 28, 2020
There will still be a workload to split up and figure out, but the Rams now have a one-two punch the way they planned to deploy one with Akers and Henderson.