A return to the AFC East, Dolphins sign Sony Michel
It’s been a crazy offseason for many, especially in Miami.
The Dolphins have acquired their third running back in 2022, signing former Rams and Patriots running back Sony Michel to a one-year deal worth $2.1 million.
New head coach Mike McDaniel has been keen to improve Miami’s rushing offense. His new team placed 30th in rushing yards during the 2021 regular season.
Two-time Super Bowl champion Michel will be joining Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds on the Dolphins roster, in an attempt to help Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed boost Miami’s running performance going into 2022.
The New England Patriots chose Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. However, they declined his fifth-year option on his rookie contract last spring.
The Rams traded their 2022 fifth and sixth-round picks to bring the former Patriot to LA, after Cam Akers tore his Achilles tendon at training camp before the start of the 2021 season.
Michel, #1 running back in Miami?
Michel played infrequently until Darrell Henderson Jr’s injury in December, where the veteran stepped-up for the Super Bowl winning offense.
He rushed for a respectable 845 yards in just seven starts, notably more than any of the Dolphin’s 2021 rushers (Gaskin was the highest with 612 yards). In the last 6 games, Michel had at least 18 carries in a period where the Rams went 5-1. Ironically, they only lost to McDaniel’s 49ers during that streak.
However, with Akers returning for the postseason, Michel soon found himself with very limited game time. His move to Miami gives the former Georgia Bulldog a chance to establish himself as a key part of a play-off contender.
The newly signed Dolphin will wear the number 34. This is a number previously championed by Ricky Williams, who rushed a stunning 6,436 yards as a Dolphin.
Miami fans will hope Michel can channel his inner Williams, and ignite an exciting run game going in 2022.
Dolphins fans should be stoked about this signing, like all the other moves this offseason.
