Sony Michel is finally getting those training camp reps that he has so badly needs. The New England Patriots running back missed almost all of training camp in 2018 with a knee injury, and as a result, he appeared to struggle to understand the passing game during his rookie season.
With an ever-changing offense like the Patriots, if a player falls behind, he may never catch up, particularly if that player is a rookie. And that seemed to be the case with Michel as a pass-catcher. He finished the season with just seven receptions despite his production running the ball (209 carries, 931 yards, six touchdowns).
If he’s going to take an increased role as a pass-catcher, first and foremost, he needs to get healthy enough to fully participate in this year’s training camp. He made his first appearance in practice on Saturday, the third session of training camp, but he was limited after reportedly getting a knee scope this offseason. When the team moved to a full-contact 11-on-11 drill, Michel disappeared for conditioning. He assured reporters that he feels good despite his limited participation.
Once he gets into those 11-on-11 drills, he can begin to build rapport with Brady at game speed. It’s something that looked like it was sorely lacking last season, with Michel dropping passes and appearing to run routes incorrectly, which resulted in misfires in the running back’s directions.
But before leaving practice early, he got work with Tom Brady in a 1-on-1 capacity. Brady also warmed up by running a few passing drills with the entire running back group. Michel downplayed that work with Brady, but those reps are crucial in building Michel’s foundation in the passing offense. That’s how he can begin to bring up that reception total.
Does he feel training camp time will help him get better in the passing game?
“I would say for all aspects of the game — you know, training camp plays a big part in development going into the season, so I think I’m thankful to be in this training camp,” Michel said.
The Patriots have an elite pass-catching back in James White. Rex Burkhead is still in the mix as a versatile weapon between the tackles and as a pass-catcher. New England also drafted running back Damien Harris, who is a powerful between-the-tackles runner. Michel is going to have to fight for touches, and he’ll get more of them if his contributions aren’t limited to carries.
