The Los Angeles Rams addressed a big need at running back by completing a trade for Sony Michel, sending a pair of late-round picks to the New England Patriots.
It became clear earlier in the offseason that the Rams would need to bring in a running back when Cam Akers went down with a torn Achilles. Backup Darrell Henderson has also been dealing with a minor thumb injury as of late, while Raymond Calais will also miss a majority of the season with a leg injury.
Because of that, Michel will have an opportunity to come in and compete for playing time right away, serving as a nice complement to Henderson as a downhill runner.
After getting to L.A. and participating in his first practice, Michel discussed what he’s trying to accomplish with the Rams, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“I’m going to just try to be the best version of me, the best player I can be, whatever they ask,” Michel said after Thursday’s practice. “Whether it’s just running down, going to block somebody, catching the ball, running the ball, whatever they need me to do, I’m going to try to do as best as I can and try to fill whatever void that they need filled.”
After being traded for the first time in his young career, Michel also spoke about how difficult the last couple of days have been for him:
“Last two days kind of just been, the best way I can put it is football terminology, sudden change,” Michel said. “It’s like, something suddenly happens, and you just got to get ready to execute. Not much time could be wasted. Just got to get up, get ready to go and get adjusted, acclimated with the new adjustment.”
Week 1 is just around the corner, but Michel is confident he’ll be able to learn the playbook and be able to suit up:
“That’s the big goal, that’s the big question,” Michel said, when a reporter asked how quickly he can learn the playbook for Week 1. “That’s my goal to dive in and learn as much as I can and try to stay on it and just keep learning. That’s all I can do right now.”
The Rams will likely be going with a committee at running back this season, but given Michel’s past success in New England, he will have an opportunity to win the starting job from the get-go.
Regardless though, with the addition to Michel, the Rams’ running back room is looking a lot stronger than it did at the beginning of the week.
