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Sony Michel

RB Sony Michel Retires

July 29th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

A reunion with the Rams will not lead to games played in Los Angeles or anywhere else for Sony Michel. The veteran running back told head coach Sean McVay earlier today that he is retiring from the NFL (Twitter link via team reporter Stu Jackson).

Michel entered the league with considerable expectations as a first-round pick of the Patriots in 2018. His three-year stay in New England resulted in notable production at times, including over 1,800 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns between his first two regular seasons. His six rushing touchdowns in the postseason helped win the Patriots a Super Bowl during his rookie year.

The Georgia alum was ultimately traded to the Rams in the summer of 2021, though, after he dealt with injuries in the previous season in particular. Michel only started eight of his 21 appearances in Los Angeles, finding himself behind Darrell Henderson and, later, Cam Akers on the depth chart. He still managed 973 scrimmage yards, however, and played a part in helping the Rams win Super Bowl LVI.

Michel joined the Dolphins last offseason, but he was unable to make their final 53-man roster. He spent the year with back in Los Angeles, but with the Chargers. A backup role behind Austin Ekeler did not produce much in the way of opportunities or production, leaving him on the open market well into the summer. Michel rejoined the Rams, but it was far from a certainty that he would have had earned a place in the team’s RB pecking order.

Despite Akers being named in trade rumors in 2022, he remains in place as the Rams’ top rushing option. Los Angeles added Zach Evans in the sixth round of this year’s draft, but a veteran replacement for Michel can be expected. A number of options are on the market at the moment, as 2023 has seen several accomplished backs fail to draw much interest deep into the summer.

Michel will choose to hang up his cleats at the age of 28 after just five seasons in the NFL. His career earnings sit at $11.5MM, almost all of which came from his rookie contract – a figure helped greatly by his status as a Day 1 selection. Rather than continue what likely would have been a series of backup roles into his 30s, he will elect to close the book on the playing chapter of his football career.

Rams Bring Back RB Sony Michel

June 20th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a season with the Chargers, Sony Michel will have another chance with Los Angeles’ NFC team. The former first-round pick reached an agreement to rejoin the Rams on Tuesday, according to the team. It is a one-year deal, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds.

Michel spent the 2021 season with the Rams, leading the eventual Super Bowl LVI-winning team in rushing. Brought in via trade following Cam Akers‘ summer Achilles tear, Michel provided a signification contribution to that championship squad. He will now aim to help out a team that has a different outlook. Veteran additions have been scarce for a regrouping Rams team this offseason. Michel follows wideout Demarcus Robinson as recent signings, however.

The Rams are coming off a down year on just about every front, with their run game struggling for most of last season. An Akers-Sean McVay disagreement led to trade talks, but the team held onto the former second-round pick. Now nearly two years removed from his Achilles setback, Akers is expected to remain a key part of Los Angeles’ rushing attack. But the Rams cut Darrell Henderson midway through last year. Michel, 28, will bring a veteran presence to a backfield full of rookie-contract cogs.

Michel’s 845 rushing yards in 2021 represent the top single-season mark of the Rams’ post-Todd Gurley stretch. Michel worked as a Henderson backup for much of that season, but after the ex-third-rounder sustained an injury that November, the trade acquisition stepped in and seized the job. While injury-prone in New England, Michel played all 21 Rams games during their most recent Super Bowl year. Michel topped 90 rushing yards in three of his six starts, including two 100-yard efforts in December 2021, but gave way to a rehabbed Akers by the time L.A.’s playoff effort began.

Last year, Michel initially joined the Dolphins as a free agent. While Miami guaranteed the Georgia alum $850K on a $1.75MM deal, Mike McDaniel‘s team did not carry him through to its 53-man roster. The Chargers picked up Michel and used him as one of Austin Ekeler‘s backups. Michel did not fare particularly well with the Bolts, totaling 106 rushing yards on 36 carries. Michel only played 10 Chargers games, and the team waived him on New Year’s Eve.

Michel played a central role in the Patriots’ 2018 Super Bowl charge, which ended with a 13-3 win over the Rams. Although the top pick ran into knee trouble in 2019 and 2020, he exceeded 900 rushing yards in ’18 and ’19 and compiled six postseason rushing TDs as a rookie. That total is tied for second in a single postseason, trailing only Terrell Davis‘ eight from 1997.

That accomplishment and a productive 2021 aside, Michel is unlikely to be a Rams roster lock. Akers returns for his contract year, and the team used a fifth-round pick on Kyren Williams last year. Ole Miss running back Zach Evans joined the Rams as a sixth-rounder in April. Ex-UDFA Ronnie Rivers is the other back on L.A.’s roster. Michel does provide some insurance, and it is not difficult to see the five-year vet sticking around as an Akers backup this season.

Chargers Activate Joey Bosa From IR

December 31st, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 31: The second player to be activated from IR only two days after being designated to return, Bosa was officially activated by the Chargers today in time for tomorrow’s contest against the cross-town Rams. After clinching a playoff spot last week, this gives Bosa a two-week period to get back up to full speed before the postseason begins.

In order to make room for Bosa on the active roster, Los Angeles waived running back Sony Michel. Michel has been the team’s third running back behind workhorse starter Austin Ekeler and backup Joshua Kelley. Ekeler plays significant time in the Chargers backfield as the both the team’s top rusher and most talented receiving back. Michel became an easy expense on a roster with a more established backup in Kelley and a backup with more youth in rookie fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller.

In addition to those two roster moves, the Chargers have promoted defensive lineman David Moa and running back Larry Rountree from the practice squad as standard gameday elevations for Sunday.

DECEMBER 29: The seventh-year pass rusher will begin practicing Thursday. The Chargers have made the official transaction, starting Bosa’s IR-return clock. Bosa said the core issue the surgery addressed had plagued him for years, via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper (on Twitter).

DECEMBER 26: Again riddled with injuries to high-profile players, the Chargers are on track to have one of them back in uniform soon. Brandon Staley has floated the possibility of Joey Bosa and Rashawn Slater playing again this season. Bosa looks to get there first.

The Chargers are expected to have Bosa back at practice this week, according to Ian Rapoport and Bridget Condon of NFL.com (video link). The Pro Bowl pass rusher has been out since suffering a groin injury in Week 3. Bosa’s return has gained steam in recent weeks, and the Bolts appear finally ready to see what he looks like in practice. From the day Bosa begins practicing, the Chargers will have three weeks to activate him from IR.

While Bosa has dealt with injuries at several points during his career, this has been his most significant. The four-time Pro Bowler will have missed 12 Bolts games after tonight’s Colts matchup — one that can secure the team its first playoff berth in four years with a win — and has been one of several Charger Pro Bowlers to miss time this year.

The Bolts have Slater and J.C. Jackson on IR, while Keenan Allen, Derwin James and Corey Linsley have also missed stretches of the season. Ditto Mike Williams and most of the team’s defensive line. But the team that again generated considerable offseason momentum is moving closer toward its optimal version. Allen, Linsley and Williams have been back for weeks, and James returns tonight.

Bosa’s latest injury required surgery, and he has been rehabbing for months. It is not believed the former No. 3 overall pick will be 100% again until next season, but the Chargers clearly feel comfortable seeing how he looks ahead of a possible activation. Bosa missed four games as a rookie in 2016 (hamstring), was shut down for nine during the 2018 season (foot) and missed four more contests in 2020 (two concussions). He made a late-season return in 2018, when the Bolts last qualified for the playoffs, and is looking to re-emerge in similar fashion this year.

Still just 27, Bosa is attached to a monster contract — agreed to back in 2020 — and has four double-digit sack seasons on his resume. The Chargers only had two full games to deploy he and Khalil Mack together. After missing much of last season with a foot injury, Mack has stayed healthy this season. Bosa coming back would certainly help the former Defensive Player of the Year, who has been the focal point of offensive line attention for much of his first Chargers season. Mack has seven sacks, 10 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles this season — his seventh Pro Bowl campaign.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

August 31st, 2022 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Denver Broncos

Re-signed:

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Released from IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed: 

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Chargers To Sign RB Sony Michel

August 31st, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

12:50pm: Michel’s visit went well. He will indeed ink a deal with the Chargers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. While several vets are signing to teams’ practice squads Wednesday, this is an active-roster agreement for Michel.

9:02am: A clear-cut Austin Ekeler backup did not emerge during the Chargers’ preseason slate. The Dolphins may be delivering one.

After failing to make Miami’s 53-man roster, Michel will meet with the Bolts on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Michel spent the 2021 season in Los Angeles, leading the Rams in rushing. Although Michel’s Dolphins training camp injects some doubt into his 2022 capabilities, the former Patriots first-rounder has led two Super Bowl-winning teams in rushing.

Michel, 27, has battled knee issues during a pro career that has seldom seen him flash the potential he showed at Georgia. Nevertheless, the 2018 first-round pick produced two 900-yard rushing seasons in New England and added 845 in L.A. last season. The Rams acquired Michel via trade last year, following Cam Akers‘ ACL tear, and the late-summer addition outproduced Darrell Henderson in 2021.

The Rams pivoted back to Akers after his late-season return from the Achilles tear, leaving Michel (4.1 yards per carry in 2021) without much of a postseason role, and opted not to bring the veteran back in free agency. Michel signed a one-year, $1.75MM deal and pocketed $850K guaranteed with Miami but saw holdovers Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed beat him out for a role alongside Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert.

The Chargers kept three backs behind Ekeler — Joshua Kelley, 2021 sixth-rounder Larry Rountree and fourth-round rookie Isaiah Spiller. A Michel addition would likely send one of these backs to the waiver wire.

Ekeler stayed healthy last season, producing a 20-touchdown slate that led the league but curiously did not produce a Pro Bowl invite. But the dual-threat back missed six games in 2020, seeing a hamstring tear derail his season. Despite losing out to multiple younger backs during the Dolphins’ preseason competition, Michel could provide stability as an Ekeler backup.

Dolphins Release RB Sony Michel

August 29th, 2022 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on Miami’s roster bubble, Sony Michel did not make the team. The Dolphins released the veteran running back Monday.

A former Patriots first-round pick, Michel has two Super Bowl rings. He led both teams — the 2018 Patriots and 2021 Rams — in rushing, most recently amassing 845 yards last season in Los Angeles. But the Dolphins are moving on, leaving Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Myles Gaskin as their top backs.

Michel’s arrival was viewed as a threat to Gaskin, who saw the team bring in a few notable backs this offseason. But Michel is back in free agency, moving past waivers due to vested-veteran status. The Saints were interested in Michel earlier this offseason, but he opted to sign with the Dolphins. This cut comes after Miami fully guaranteed Michel $850K. The team will still save close to $1MM with this transaction.

Despite a run of injuries as a Patriot, Michel played in all 21 Rams games last season. The Rams moved to Michel via trade after Cam Akers‘ July 2021 Achilles tear, and the former became a reliable contributor. The Georgia product posted two 120-plus-yard rushing games during the season’s second half, which featured Darrell Henderson also miss time because of injury, and eclipsed 70 rushing yards in five straight games from Weeks 12-16 last season. Akers return led Michel to a backup role for most of L.A.’s postseason, which did not feature much in the way of Akers production.

Michel, whose six rushing touchdowns in the 2018 playoffs sit in a tie for second in a single postseason (behind only Terrell Davis‘ eight in 1997), should have options post-Miami. But running backs — especially those whose skillsets do not include proven pass-catching ability — often struggle to find work after their rookie deals expire. It will be interesting to see where the fifth-year runner, who has not been used as a pass-catching option much, ends up.

Gaskin could profile as Mostert insurance, given the latter’s run of injuries toward the end of his 49ers tenure. The Dolphins also have holdover Salvon Ahmed on the team, though they must slash their roster from 80 to 53 by 3pm CT Tuesday. The team has begun doing so, making several cuts. Gerrid Doaks, a former seventh-round running back pick, is among them.

Release Candidates: Dolphins RBs Myles Gaskin, Sony Michel

August 23rd, 2022 at 9:40pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins completely revamped their running backs depth chart this offseason, and that will naturally lead to some tough decisions when it comes to roster cuts. While we don’t have full clarity yet on how the RB room will shake out, we can pretty confidently say that at least two offseason acquisitions will make the roster. Chase Edmonds earned the biggest contract of the bunch, and he’s expected to carry over his versatile, pass-catching role from Arizona to Miami. Meanwhile, while Raheem Mostert has struggled to stay healthy recently, his familiarity with Mike McDaniel‘s system makes him a lock to make the squad.

That leaves only a handful of spots for more than a handful of RBs. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald recently wrote, the team could end up opting for cheaper options as they look to fill in the depth chart behind Edmonds and Mostert. That means one or both of Sony Michel and Myles Gaskin could earn their walking papers before the season begins.

Michel was the Dolphins’ third notable running back signing. Following a disappointing final season in New England, the former first-round pick bounced back in 2021 with the Rams. He ended up starting seven of his 17 games, collecting 973 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns on 229 touches. The veteran also has extensive postseason experience, having earned rings with the Patriots and the Rams (including a 2018 playoff run when he had six touchdowns). The thing is, Michel is due $2.1MM next season, with only $500K guaranteed. It’s a drop in the bucket when it comes to the whole roster, but it’s still a lofty salary for what could ultimately be a third running back.

Meanwhile, Gaskin is the primary holdover from last year’s squad. Over the past two seasons, Gaskin has collected 1,818 yards from scrimmage in 27 games (17 starts). He’s also shown that he can be productive in the passing game, hauling in 90 receptions over that same span. However, similar to Michel, Gaskin is probably making too much for an end-of-the-depth-chart RB. The 25-year-old is set to make $2.5MM next season, but the team could recoup all of that money if they let him go.

If a spot does open on the depth chart, it seems like Salvon Ahmed would likely earn the gig. Ahmed actually had a stint on McDaniel’s squad in 2020 before joining Miami. The former undrafted free agent has gotten into 18 games for the Dolphins over the past two years, collecting 646 yards on offense. The Dolphins’ other RB options, including Zaquandre White and Gerrid Doaks, profile more as practice squad players, which probably bodes well for one of Michel or Gaskin to make the 53-man roster.

For what it’s worth, Gaskin leads the Dolphins in carries this offseason, while Michel has contributed -2 rushing yards on four touches. The coaching staff will use the next week to determine how to proceed, but if preseason has been any indication, it seems like Michel may be the odd man out.

Contract Details: Michel, Goodwin

June 9th, 2022 at 9:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:

  • Sony Michel, RB (Dolphins): One-year, $1.75MM. The deal, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, has a guaranteed amount of $850,000 consisting of a $350,000 signing bonus and $500,000 of the base salary. Michel will also earn a per game active bonus of $14,117 for a potential season total of $240,000.
  • Marquise Goodwin, WR (Seahawks): One-year, $1.27MM. The contract, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, has a guaranteed amount of $152,500 in the form of a signing bonus. It’s a low-risk deal meant to either bring in a veteran on the back end of the depth chart or motivate the younger players on the back end of the depth chart to up their game.

Contract Details: Addison, Michel, Chargers

May 11th, 2022 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve compiled some updated numbers on recent NFL signings:

  • Mario Addison, DE (Texans): two-year deal. Contract has a $7.7MM base value, including a $2MM signing bonus, per ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter.
  • Bryce Callahan, CB (Chargers): signed. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.27MM, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter). The deal has a cap hit of $1.04MM thanks to the veteran salary benefit. Callahan will earn a base salary of $1.12MM and a signing bonus worth $152.5K.
  • Mike Davis, RB (Ravens): signed. It’s a one-year deal for the veteran running back, per Yates (on Twitter). The deal is worth a bit more than $1.20MM, meaning Davis’s cap hit will qualify for the veteran salary benefit contract.
  • Tyrann Mathieu, CB (Saints): three-year, $33MM deal ($18MM guaranteed). The deal features a $9.5MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed base salaries in 2022 and 2023. The contract is effectively a three-year pact worth $27MM, with $18MM guaranteed and $2MM in yearly bonuses (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).
  • Sony Michel, RB (Dolphins): one-year, $2.1MM deal. The contract includes a $1.75MM base value, including a $350K signing bonus (per Yates on Twitter).
  • E.J. Perry, QB (Jaguars): signed. The UDFA received $230K in guaranteed money from Jacksonville, including a $23K signing bonus and a guaranteed $207K salary, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
  • Kyle Van Noy, LB (Chargers): one-year deal. The contract’s base value and cap hit are worth $2.25MM. Includes $1.5MM base salary and $750K signing bonus, per Yates on Twitter.

Dolphins To Sign RB Sony Michel

May 9th, 2022 at 6:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins’ offseason backfield makeover will continue post-draft. They are signing former Patriots first-round pick Sony Michel, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal, Josina Anderson of USA Today tweets. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that the deal is worth $2.1MM.

Michel, who trekked to Miami and New Orleans for visits last week, will join Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert in a suddenly crowded Dolphins backfield. Miami signed both Edmonds and Mostert in March and will become the rare team to roster three running backs with at least four years’ experience. These additions should help a Miami ground attack that ranked 30th last season.

This will be Michel’s third NFL destination, and it comes on the heels of the ex-Georgia standout winning his second Super Bowl. Michel was far more effective during the Patriots’ 2018 playoff stretch (six rushing touchdowns, tied for second all time for a single postseason) than he was during the Rams’ four-game winter odyssey (26 carries, 80 yards), but he played a key role for Los Angeles during the regular season.

The Rams acquired Michel after Cam Akers sustained an Achilles tear, and the injury-prone ex-Patriot became the team’s go-to back after Darrell Henderson suffered a midseason injury. Michel posted two 120-plus-yard games in December, helping the Rams stay the course en route to their NFC West title. Michel faded into the background after Akers’ late-season return and received only two carries in Super Bowl LVI, but his 845 rushing yards led the Rams by a wide margin last season.

Although injuries plagued Michel for much of his Patriots run, he suited up for all 21 Rams games last season. The Dolphins’ previous two running back acquisitions have histories being injury-prone (Mostert) or as a change-of-pace back (Edmonds). Michel profiles as a between-the-tackles type who could provide some insurance. His arrival crowds a position group that also houses holdovers Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. Provided everyone stays healthy through the preseason, Miami’s backfield will not have room for all five backs.

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