Getty Sony Michel
Are the New England Patriots satisfied with their depth at running back? We may find out soon. The Miami Dolphins released former Patriots RB Sony Michel on Monday night, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Michel linked to the Patriots.
Michel helped the Patriots win Super Bowl LII rushing for 94 yards and scoring the games only TD against the Los Angeles Rams–a team he’d win his second ring with in 2021.
In 2018, Michel scored 6 postseason TDs. The only player in NFL history to have more rushing TDs in a single postseason is Denver Broncos great and Hall-of-Famer Terrell Davis.
The Patriots’ RB Situation is Unclear After the Top Two
New England has Damien Harris and second-year stud Rhamondre Stevenson in position to provide a strong 1-2 punch at running back. However, injuries, retirement, size issues, and a lack of experience make things a bit unclear after Harris and Stevenson.
RB-WR hybrid Ty Montgomery was carted off the field during the Patriots’ 26-3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the preseason finale. Initially, the injury looked serious, but some recent indications from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick suggest it might not be as severe as it originally appeared.
Still, it is hard to imagine Montgomery won’t miss any time.
He wasn’t present at practice on Monday, but Belichick wouldn’t give any specifics on his potential return. Before Montgomery’s injury, veteran running back James White announced his retirement. White suffered a serious hip injury in Week 3 of the 2021 regular season.
White could not make it back last season and wasn’t ready to return during training camp. The Patriots placed Montgomery on injured reserve, but the former team captain chose to call it a career after a strong run with New England.
White’s absence left a void in the Patriots’ Running back room.
Specifically, the passing-back role that White commandeered throughout his career was left vacant. There were thoughts that Montgomery could fill that role, but his injury could complicate things.
Even if Montgomery can make it back within the first three weeks of the season, the Patriots might have to hold onto diminutive running back J.J. Taylor for veteran depth at the position. While Taylor’s heart will never be questioned, the 5-foot-6 third-year back isn’t quite quick enough to be a scat back in the mold of Darren Sproles, so he has had a hard time making an impact.
New England has two rookies in Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris, but it wouldn’t be a shock if Belichick wants to have as many veterans as possible at the position.
While Michel isn’t an ideal fit for the passing-back role, he is more experienced than Taylor, Strong, and Harris. If there is a mutual interest, the Patriots could further strengthen an already solid position group on their roster.
Other Patriots News
- Bill Belichick Loves His Undrafted Rookies
It seems safe to assume the Patriots’ streak of maintaining the services of an undrafted free agent will continue this season. During Belichick’s presser on Monday, he raved about this year’s crop of UDFAs.
NESN’s Zack Cox captured Belichick’s quote in this tweet.
Belichick said the Patriots have had some “really competitive” undrafted rookies in camp this summer. Even more than they usually have.
Wouldn’t be shocking to see Brenden Schooler, LaBryan Ray, DaMarcus Mitchell and Kody Russey all make the initial 53.
Schooler is a safety by trade, but he has an excellent chance to stick as a special-teamer. Ray is an elite college talent that has never proven to stay healthy. Through training camp and the preseason, Ray has been active and upright, and his talent has shined.
Mitchell and Russey have shown enough to be valuable depth pieces if Cox is correct and the Patriots keep all four guys.