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New England Patriots: Chris Simms believes Sony Michel will be primary back

By Nick Ziegler

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Sony Michel of Georgia after he was picked #31 overall by the New England Patriots during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Sony Michel of Georgia after he was picked #31 overall by the New England Patriots during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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After the loss of Dion Lewis, the New England Patriots appeared like they were going to use a running back by committee. However, Chris Sims does not believe that will be the case.

Coming into the 2017 season, the New England Patriots clearly started the season with a running back by committee. After letting LeGarrette Blount go to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots went in a new direction last season.

To start the season, Mike Gillislee received the first crack at being the primary back. However, despite doing well in Buffalo, Gillislee was never able to replicate that success with the Patriots. Ultimately, he fell out of favor in New England and was a non-factor for the second half of the season.

The Patriots eventually turned to Dion Lewis as the primary running back last season, and he ended up being the man for the job. Lewis totaled 896 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns for the Patriots. However, as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Lewis was able to capitalize on his good season and sign with the Tennessee Titans.

With Lewis gone, the Patriots once again had a hole at running back. To the surprise of many, the Patriots ended up selecting running back Sony Michel in the first round out of Georgia. Michel had a very nice career with the Bulldogs and could be a great weapon for the Patriots.

Recently, Chris Simms of Bleacher Report talked about the addition of Michel and that he will end any possible running back by committee very quickly.

At Georgia, Michel wasn’t the workhorse back, as he split time with Nick Chubb in the backfield. While he will likely be sharing time with Rex Burkhead and James White for sure, Michel being selected in the first round indicates that he should be the featured back in New England if all goes right.

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After an explosive career at Georgia, it will be very interesting to see what Michel can do in New England. With a lot of talent around him, Michel could end up having one of the best rookie seasons in this year’s class.

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