Sony Michel to Rams

Eddie Jurak

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Rhamondre Stevenson has come a long way since he failed the conditioning run. Pulling the trigger on Michel seems to indicate confidence that Stevenson can back up Harris.
 

Silverdude2167

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I understand why and am glad they got something for him, but it is also going to be annoying to see him do well in LA (which I expect).

Thanks for the 6th ring.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I don’t love this as it’s not a long road from here to Bolden getting actual carries, but I doubt it makes or breaks anything.
 

rodderick

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Was okay with it before training camp started, think it's a shaky move now with how good he's looked in preseason and reportedly in practice. A good sign for Stevenson and Taylor, sure, but I think Michel had value to this team if they intend to run the ball as much as we think they do. Injuries are really common at the position and if Harris tweaks something all of a sudden it's a backfield full of completely unproven guys.
 

sodenj5

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Sony Michel was always a weird fit in the NFL to me.

At Georgia, it felt like they used him as the faster, change of pace, receiving guy. And then all the scouting reports I read tried selling me that he was this physical, between the tackles runner.

He’s probably a good fit as an outside zone runner in McVay’s system, assuming his knee holds up.
 

k-factory

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2 late round conditional picks is a long ways away from a mid rounder some were speculating but I guess that’s his market
 

BaseballJones

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I'm not thrilled with this. I guess it's one way to clear up the RB situation, and it seems to be evident that BB really likes Stevenson and JJ Taylor (and Bolden I suppose). But I don't love the return.

Two late conditional picks is kind of like giving him away for free. I'm surprised with how good he's looked that that's all he could fetch.
 

IdiotKicker

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I thought he’d be cut. This isn’t much removed from it. Average, injury-prone player who wasn’t worth a first, but had his moments down the stretch as a rookie really helping the team.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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The deal is conditionally a 4th rounder if the Rams get a comp pick.
If true, that's a decent deal. While I'd rather have kept Michel, the best part is that the staff feels Stevenson & Taylor are ready to play big roles this year.

Personally, I think Dodge may turn out to be a better back than Harris when it's all said and done.
 

Captaincoop

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What if the Rams re-sign him? Then it's the 5th and 6th. We can't assume they get a comp pick for him if that option is out there.

Seems the worst case scenario is that he's really good this year and the Rams would have gotten a comp pick for him, but they opt to keep him.
 

Mystic Merlin

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What if the Rams re-sign him? Then it's the 5th and 6th. We can't assume they get a comp pick for him if that option is out there.

Seems the worst case scenario is that he's really good this year and the Rams would have gotten a comp pick for him, but they opt to keep him.
If he’s good, their cap situation is gonna make it tough to throw money at a RB.
 

Gash Prex

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I’m good with this. Decent compensation for a guy who was leaving, gives more opportunity to Stevenson, and likely keeps Taylor/Bolden away from cut list.

Good luck to Sony. This deal is pretty good for him as well.
 

GB5

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any idea if it is a 4th if the Rams get any 4th round compensation pick, or does it have to be a 4th round pick solely if the comp pick is related to Sony signing somewhere else. RB's get short money in free agency. Even if he has a good year, I think its a very long shot that he signs the type of deal that warrants a 4th round comp pick.
 

Eddie Jurak

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What if the Rams re-sign him? Then it's the 5th and 6th. We can't assume they get a comp pick for him if that option is out there.

Seems the worst case scenario is that he's really good this year and the Rams would have gotten a comp pick for him, but they opt to keep him.
Its not about a comp pick for Michel if he leaves - it is about whether or not the Rams are awarded a 4th round comp pick for the departure of John Johnson this year. If they are, the Pats get it. If they aren’t, the Pats keep the 5th and 6th.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Seems better to have two shots on goal, one in the 5th and one in the 6th, than it is to have one shot on goal in the 4th.
 

Super Nomario

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Seems better to have two shots on goal, one in the 5th and one in the 6th, than it is to have one shot on goal in the 4th.
I think the 5th and the 6th are the region of the draft where you're basically getting priority priority free agents - they aren't really better prospects than the UDFAs, you just get your pick / some control. The comp 4th range (pick in the 140s, most likely) isn't a lot better, but maybe you're in the next tier up.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Suggests he was very much in the roster bubble, as speculated, so getting value makes sense.

A lot easier for me personally to be fine with that given I just believe in Sony overall
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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any idea if it is a 4th if the Rams get any 4th round compensation pick, or does it have to be a 4th round pick solely if the comp pick is related to Sony signing somewhere else. RB's get short money in free agency. Even if he has a good year, I think its a very long shot that he signs the type of deal that warrants a 4th round comp pick.
Answered above.

Comp pick is tied to John Johnson. Pretty good chance that converts. Johnsons a decent safety.

I didnt really want to trade Sony, but the roster is jammed and moves needed to be made. Once Akers went down, people here started speculating about Sony heading to LA. I didn't think a 4th was a possibility, so, value is decent.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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I confess to being surprised at this deal. Sony ran very well in the second half last year and showed signs of being healthy and productive. I think he's going to have a big year in LA.

Huge playoff performer in 2018, big reason the Pats won the SB.
 

Ferm Sheller

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I think the 5th and the 6th are the region of the draft where you're basically getting priority priority free agents - they aren't really better prospects than the UDFAs, you just get your pick / some control. The comp 4th range (pick in the 140s, most likely) isn't a lot better, but maybe you're in the next tier up.
This is likely their thinking, but when I have some time I’m going to go back over the past 10 years or so to see how their 5th and 6th rounders have stacked up against their 4ths.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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I'm surprised with how good he's looked that that's all he could fetch.
I mean, if you were a team trading for him how much heftier a price would you have been willing to pay based on the 2021 pre-season versus his on-field production in 2019 and 2020? At this stage in the game, the Sony Michel trade market may have been a single team. I'm honestly surprised they managed to get what they got.
 

Harry Hooper

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I confess to being surprised at this deal. Sony ran very well in the second half last year and showed signs of being healthy and productive. I think he's going to have a big year in LA.

Huge playoff performer in 2018, big reason the Pats won the SB.
Factoring in the 17-game season, I think Sony was really needed here as a big part of the RB contingent. In baseball bullpen terms, you have your closer (Harris), and you traded off your top setup guy (Michel). If your closer goes down, you just have a lot of "good young arms" to fill in with.

After all cutdowns, though, there might be some decent FA possibilities looking for jobs as the season progresses.
 
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HomeRunBaker

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Rhamondre Stevenson has come a long way since he failed the conditioning run. Pulling the trigger on Michel seems to indicate confidence that Stevenson can back up Harris.
It could also indicate that BB knows that Michel doesn’t have much left in his knee and unlikely to make it through the season. Speculation of course but certainly a possibility.
 

moondog80

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So they get a 4th round pick, but wouldn't the Pats have gotten a compensation pick when he left via FA?

I think this just comes down to the depth at RB means his 3 mil could be used elsewhere.
 

Captaincoop

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Its not about a comp pick for Michel if he leaves - it is about whether or not the Rams are awarded a 4th round comp pick for the departure of John Johnson this year. If they are, the Pats get it. If they aren’t, the Pats keep the 5th and 6th.
Ok, thanks. If that's the case, love this move.
 

Over Guapo Grande

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So they get a 4th round pick, but wouldn't the Pats have gotten a compensation pick when he left via FA?

I think this just comes down to the depth at RB means his 3 mil could be used elsewhere.
Isn't it a case of getting that comp pick this coming year, rather than a year from now? So 2022 would be the Johnson comp pick, as opposed to one for Michel in 2023?
 

lexrageorge

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The reality is that there is only so much depth the team can carry at any one position. White, Harris, Stevenson, and Taylor seem primed to be dressed on game day; it's just not feasible to divide game day snaps among 5 running backs. Bolden and fullback Jakob Johnson are clearly on the bubble, and both could be cut and resigned so the team can get a player or two on the injured list after cutdown day (possibly Harry). By keeping Michel, the team would potentially have to sacrifice depth elsewhere like OL, DL, or LB; those positions are also subject to attrition over a long season.
 

Saints Rest

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So they get a 4th round pick, but wouldn't the Pats have gotten a compensation pick when he left via FA?

I think this just comes down to the depth at RB means his 3 mil could be used elsewhere.
I was thinking the same thing at first, but upon further review, any comp pick (and it might have been as low as a 6th or 7th) would have been in the 2023 draft. So in essence, they traded away an uncertain 2023 later round pick, for what might turn into a mid-round 2022 pick. Plus they ease roster crunch at RB. Plus they save about $700k on the cap, while saving about $1.8M in cash.
 

Mooch

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Isn't it a case of getting that comp pick this coming year, rather than a year from now? So 2022 would be the Johnson comp pick, as opposed to one for Michel in 2023?
Speculation is that Michel would only yield a 2023 5th rounder. So a 2022 4th round pick is better value.
 

Super Nomario

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So they get a 4th round pick, but wouldn't the Pats have gotten a compensation pick when he left via FA?

I think this just comes down to the depth at RB means his 3 mil could be used elsewhere.
Maybe? Looking at the most recent comp pick chart at OTC, Melvin Gordon got a 5th and Jordan Howard got a 6th. Sony's certainly not as good or well-regarded as Gordon, and probably not even as much as Howard, and he wasn't likely to improve on that a lot stuck behind Harris.

Note that the Pats are still on the hook for the prorated signing bonus portion, so they only save ~$1.8 MM, not the full $3 MM.
 

moondog80

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Maybe? Looking at the most recent comp pick chart at OTC, Melvin Gordon got a 5th and Jordan Howard got a 6th. Sony's certainly not as good or well-regarded as Gordon, and probably not even as much as Howard, and he wasn't likely to improve on that a lot stuck behind Harris.

Note that the Pats are still on the hook for the prorated signing bonus portion, so they only save ~$1.8 MM, not the full $3 MM.

Good points, thx. In Bill we trust!
 

DJnVa

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Was okay with it before training camp started, think it's a shaky move now with how good he's looked in preseason and reportedly in practice.
True, but that camp performance might have been what was needed to get a few draft picks versus other team waiting out a potential cut.
 

rodderick

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True, but that camp performance might have been what was needed to get a few draft picks versus other team waiting out a potential cut.
Sure, the return is actually pretty good too. I don't know, I think if they have a halfway decent passing game this will end up not mattering at all, but in my mind that's not anywhere close to a certainty at this point.

It's probably the right move, though, Sony's skillset is fungible with the other guys they have, I just think a team that from all indications is going to run the ball as the primary means to gain ground on offense needs guys that have proven they can do it at the NFL level, and I only see one of those on the team right now. If they make a move like this in the Brady years I don't think it'd move the needle for me in the slightest, but this is a different era.
 

cornwalls@6

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I'm not thrilled with this. I guess it's one way to clear up the RB situation, and it seems to be evident that BB really likes Stevenson and JJ Taylor (and Bolden I suppose). But I don't love the return.

Two late conditional picks is kind of like giving him away for free. I'm surprised with how good he's looked that that's all he could fetch.
Heading into his 4th season, with an injury history. I think the return is more indicative of how the position is valued in the league now, rather than BB making a bad or premature deal. Despite his decent camp, he's seemed like the odd man out to me this off-season. Not at all surprised by this.
 

Cellar-Door

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THis seems like decent value, but at the same time, I think Sony was looking like our best all-around RB. Maybe we Stevenson breaks out, but I'm not a huge Harris fan, he's fine as a runner, but he has no passing game impact, and I hate having packages where the defense can basically rule out a chunk of the playbook based on which RB is in there.
 

Super Nomario

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THis seems like decent value, but at the same time, I think Sony was looking like our best all-around RB. Maybe we Stevenson breaks out, but I'm not a huge Harris fan, he's fine as a runner, but he has no passing game impact, and I hate having packages where the defense can basically rule out a chunk of the playbook based on which RB is in there.
I think this is more how the Patriots like to do things than reflective of the skill sets of the runners. Sony caught some passes in college but nada in the NFL. Harris did a little pass-catching at Alabama but we haven't seen it so far in the NFL either.
 
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I read that Josh Johnson needs to play just 30% of the snaps this year for the Rams to receive the 4th round comp pick which would then officially change the 5th and 6th to the 4th. Likely to happen.
 

Soxy

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That's more than I thought they'd get for Sony in a trade.

Seems like this speaks more loudly as a vote of confidence in Stevenson and Taylor than anything. If they don't flash like they have, I'm not sure the Pats are as willing to make this trade. They had both better be ready for when the inevitable Damien Harris injury strikes. For as much crap as Sony got for not being able to stay healthy, Harris hasn't shown the ability to do that either.
 

Toe Nash

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I am surprised at the reaction here; RBs who aren't stars or excellent pass-catchers still seem very fungible to me and Michel is neither, plus he hasn't stayed healthy. I'm glad to get anything for him.
 

Jungleland

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A 4th is a completely reasonable return for 1 year of a good running back with relatively equal upside and downside based on what we've seen in the first 3 years of his career. Whether it's the right move roster-wise remains to be seen, but I err on the side of yes. If this is purely to get Bolden or Johnson on the roster I'm a little less thrilled, I guess, but more importantly it ensures Stevenson has a role and looks like Taylor will make the team. Not sure 3rd between the tackles RB is THAT important as depth for this roster with Cam still here to take some of the beating at the goal line. I'm also expecting at least one of the washed up FA RBs to give someone a few good games in November or December, so you theoretically have that as a break glass in case of emergency option, too.

For the record I think my very last post was about how bummed I'd be if Sony didn't make the team, and I stand by him looking very good this preseason. But a 4th isn't insignificant.
 

dcdrew10

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I was also a bit disappointed by the haul, particularly if they only end up with 5th and 6th round picks, but Florio has one league source that thinks it was “Great trade for New England. The Rams hate to draft these days.” , so in BB we trust, right? Reframing my take on it is, Michel looked great when he was on the field (which isn't enough) and would have likely been 3rd/4th on the depth chart without playing a vital special teams role, which is probably not the best use of a roster spot. If the Pats needed him to carry the team, there would have been a lot of other issues and the season is probably lost. I'm excited for Harris/Stevenson/Taylor.