Raiders free agency preview: Sony Michel

With NFL free agency starting next week, we’ve been looking at some potential fits for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Many of the players who may fit, of course, have ties to the Las Vegas Raiders’ new regime and that’s why we may need to pay attention to Los Angeles Rams running back Sony Michel. He was with new Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler with the New England Patriots. The Patriots drafted Michel with the No. 31 overall pick in 2018. He was traded to the Rams last year,

Michel had 845 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per carry for the Rams last season. He had 931 yards (4.5 per carry average) as a rookie and 912 yards (3.7 yards per carry) in 2019 with McDaniels as his offensive coordinator. Michel only had 79 carries in 2020 because of injury,.

He is a solid, if not spectacular player who McDaniels is comfortable with. Michel, 27, likely wouldn’t be overly costly, either.

If McDaniels and Ziegler think Michel is an upgrade over Kenyan Drake and fellow free agent Jalen Richard, Michel could be in the mix to back up starter Josh Jacobs. Of course, there could be room for both Drake and Michel as well in Las Vegas.

Other former McDaniels’ running backs James White and Brandon Bolden could fit as well.