Once the March free agency period arrived, there was the feeling in the air that Sony Michel would end his time with the Los Angeles Rams.
Then when the NFL Draft came and went on April 30, there was the further notion that the free agent Michel would become a potential odd man out in the Rams‘ backfield after the franchise drafted Kyren Williams out of Norte Dame.
Things have been relatively quiet for Michel, until late Wednesday evening on May 4 per Jeremy Fowler.
The ESPN NFL insider reported that the two-time Super Bowl winner was set to visit two NFL franchises: The Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints.
Here’s a look at both teams’ backfield situation.
Miami in Need of Backs
The Dolphins only had four draft picks in the first draft of the Mike McDaniels era.
Surprisingly, none of the four picks were made on running backs.
Granted, McDaniels helped lure in one back he’s familiar with to South Beach: Raheem Mostert from the San Francisco 49ers.
Mostert is anticipated to bring a lightning element from the backfield on McDaniel’s zone read plays that were popularized by his mentor Kyle Shanahan in the Bay Area. The downside with Mostert, however, is he’s coming off an ACL tear from last season plus he’s in his final year of his 20s — which raises questions of how much he has left.
Outside of Mostert, the ‘Fins also have Myles Gaskin as the veteran of the Miami unit. Gaskin has been with the ‘Fins since 2019 and has 1,329 total yards with seven touchdowns according to Pro Football Reference. Gaskin arrived to Miami as a seventh rounder (No. 234 overall).
Gaskin isn’t the only University of Washington representative in the Dolphin backfield. Salvon Ahmed has also handled handoffs in the last two seasons in the 305 — accumulating 468 yards and three touchdowns (all during the 2020 season).
Lastly, Chase Edmonds joins Mostert as the veteran newcomers. The 26-year-old Edmonds comes over after spending four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Edmonds had his best season as a pro last season — racking up 116 carries for 592 yards.
Next comes how much financial room do the Dolphins have should they bring in Michel. Per spotrac, Gaskin has the highest base salary at $2.54 million. Edmonds has $2 million. Michel made $1,792,731 in base salary with the Rams last season.
Saints in Tough Spot Involving Alvin Kamara
The Saints have been led by the versatility and power of Alvin Kamara.
However, Kamara is facing legal issues after his February 17 arrest following a nightclub incident in Las Vegas. Kamara’s hearing got postponed on April 25 per WAFB 9 News. Kamara could still face a league suspension involving a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy to begin the year.
Hence why Michel’s name has floated as a possibility.
If Kamara isn’t available, the Saints are left with 32-year-old Mark Ingram and 28-year-old Dwayne Washington as the veteran options. New Orleans didn’t draft a running back in the 2022 period. Hence how the Saints could opt for a veteran to fill the backfield like Michel.
The Rams free agent played in all 17 games after being lured in due to the Cam Akers Achilles injury before training camp. He finished with 208 carries for 845 yards and four touchdowns while catching 21 passes for 128 yards and a receiving touchdown.
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Rams Free Agent Sony Michel Redrawing Interest Post Draft: Report