Rams Acquire Former Patriots First-Round Pick Sony Michel

The Rams have acquired former Patriots running back Sony Michel in exchange for two conditional draft picks, the teams announced Wednesday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots will receive a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick that could convert to a fourth-round selection.

The Rams' acquisition of Michel comes in the wake of second-year running back Cam Akers tearing his right Achilles tendon during a work out before training camp. Los Angeles Running back Darrell Henderson Jr. also recently suffered a thumb injury, though he returned to practice Tuesday with a cast or brace protecting his left hand and the injury is not believed to be serious.

Michel, 26, was a first-round pick of the Patriots in the 2018 NFL draft. While he started 22 games throughout his first two seasons, recording more than 1,800 combined yards, he struggled to make a major impact last season. In 2020, he appeared in just nine games and ran for just 449 yards and one touchdown. 

He is set to earn a base salary of $1.79 million in the final year of his contract in 2021.