What is Sony Michel’s future in New England?
How he recovers from his offseason foot surgery, and how soon it happens, could impact not only this year, but 2021 as well.
COMMENTARY
The 2020 season figures to be one involving transition at more than one position group for the New England Patriots. While the quarterback competition is the one sure to grab the most headlines, keep an eye on how the Patriots proceed with their running backs in 2020.
With Sony Michel being placed on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from offseason foot surgery, New England faces some uncertainty at the position as it gets training camp under way.
According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, Michel may not be ready by Week 1 of the regular season, which may explain the signing of former Pro Bowl running back Lamar Miller to a risk-free one-year deal with a base salary of $1.5 million and just $200,000 in guaranteed money.
After suffering a torn ACL last year in the preseason, Miller, if healthy, brings an intriguing blend of running and pass-catching ability to the New England running back position. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry two seasons ago with the Houston Texans, while amassing 1,136 all-purpose yards. The former Texan and Miami Dolphin has rushed for at least 850 yards in five straight seasons, and over that same stretch, only missed four games.
But, like Michel, Miller is also starting training camp on the PUP list, adding more question marks at the running back position.
With Michel and Miller rehabbing separate injuries, the focus– and the intrigue– now shifts to last year’s third-round draft pick out of Alabama, Damien Harris.
Harris was only active for two regular season games last year as a rookie, which isn’t too uncommon for how the Patriots treat their rookie running backs. At Alabama, Harris had back-to-back seasons of more than 1,000 yards rushing, as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, Harris rushed for 876 yards and nine touchdowns, while grabbing a career-high 22 passes for 204 yards.
Now, with Michel and Miller out, Harris has an enormous opportunity in front of him, not only just for 2020, but after that as well. By all accounts after the first two days of training camp, Harris has been one of the standouts, with Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard saying, “Harris is making the most out of his opportunity. His vision and cutbacks have been very good.”
The door is open for Harris to supplant Michel as the team’s primary ball-carrier on early downs. When factoring in Michel’s declining production (yards per carry falling from 4.5 in 2018 to 3.7 in 2019) and his lengthening injury history (torn ACL in high school, ankle & knee injuries in college, fluid drained from knee as a rookie), Harris could be auditioning for more than just increased snaps in 2020. With a strong training camp, and question marks about the health status of Michel and Miller (not to mention Rex Burkhead, who has had durability issues too), Harris could find himself as the top running back for New England on running downs, splitting reps with James White and Rex Burkhead, who are better options on third down as pass-catchers.
But whether it be Harris, Miller, or Burkhead, Michel will face stiff competition for reps when he returns to full health. With injuries piling up, and only one year left on his contract after 2020, the former 2018 first-round pick may not be long for New England, depending on how the position shakes out in his absence.
It could be that whichever of Michel and Miller returns to the field first is the team’s primary running back for 2020, splitting time with Harris as the team readies for Harris to take over in 2021 and beyond. Obviously, that depends on how Harris fares in the regular season, and not just training camp. But the early returns are promising for the second-year Crimson Tide product.
When it comes to Michel’s future in New England, how he recovers from his offseason foot surgery, and how soon it happens, could impact not only this year, but 2021 as well. The Patriots hold a fifth-year team option for Michel for the 2022 season, and the team has between the last regular season game of the 2020-21 season and May 3, 2021 to decide on the option for Michel. A disappointing 2020 season could lead New England to declining its fifth-year option for Michel, and letting him test the market as a free agent.
There’s a lot to keep track of with the Patriots this year. The quarterbacks may garner most of the attention in this year’s training camp, but pay attention to the running backs too. With increased competition and concerns about Michel’s health, change could be coming, both in the short-term, and the long-term.
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