New England Patriots Decline Picking Up RB Sony Michel’s 5th Year Option

On Monday, May 3^rd, 2021 the New England Patriots made a couple of interesting announcements including that they are declining to pick up the fifth – year option of their fairly young star running back Sony Michel’s rookie contract, and the New England Patriots’ front office has decided to exercise the fifth – year option on their offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn’s rookie contract.

 According to the respected sources surrounding the NFL, Monday, May 3^rd, 2021 was the strict deadline for franchises of the National Football League to exercise the options for the players they selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and if exercised those players’ base salaries for 2022 then become fully guaranteed. The New England Patriots selected Michel as well as Wynn in the 2018 NFL Draft, and it just so happens that Isaiah and Sony were teammates at the University of Georgia playing college football together with the Bulldogs prior to entering the National Football League.

Isaiah Wynn was selected with the 23^rd overall selection in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft while Michel was picked with the 31^st overall selection in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. By the New England Patriots exercising Wynn’s fifth – year option of his rookie deal he will be paid a $10.4 million base salary for the 2022 – 2023 NFL season which is now fully guaranteed.

Michel will be playing for the New England Patriots during this upcoming 2021 – 2022 NFL season under the final year of his standard 4 – year rookie agreement. Then following this year, he will become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the 2022 NFL offseason unless the New England Patriots resign him to a contract extension prior to that point. The Patriots would have been responsible to pay out Sony Michel a base salary of approximately $4.5 million fully guaranteed in 2022 if they had decided to exercise his fifth – year option on his initial NFL contract.

Over the course of his three seasons rushing the ball for the New England Patriots Michel has rushed for a total of 2,292 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Sony averages 4.3 yards per carry on his 535 career handoffs in the New England Patriots’ offensive backfield. He also has caught 26 receptions from New England quarterbacks in order to accumulate 258 receiving yards as well as convert on one single receiving touchdown for the Patriots.

Injuries to Sony Michel and Isaiah Wynn throughout their NFL Careers

After rushing for over than 900 yards in both of Sony’s first two seasons with the New England Patriots, Michel has only appeared in nine games last year after spending some significant time on injured reserve list with a quad injury that he suffered in September of 2020. Sony finished the season with just 449 yards and one touchdown, but he did average an impressive 5.7 yards per carry during the 2020 – 2021 season of the National Football League.

Wynn has previously been bitten by the injury bug early on in his NFL career as well. Isaiah missed his entire rookie season in 2018 once he tore his Achilles during the 2018 NFL preseason. Injuries have limited him to a combined 18 games which have all been starts at the left offensive tackle position over the course of the past two football seasons.

The Current New England Patriots Offensive Depth Chart

 Quarterback

• Cam Newton
• Mac Jones (Rookie)
• Jarrett Stidham

Running Back

• Damien Harris
• Sony Michel
• James White
• J. Taylor

Wide Receiver

• Nelson Agholor
• Jakobi Meyers
• Kendrick Bourne
• N’Keal Harry
• Gunner Olszewski
• Tre Nixon (Rookie)

Tight End

• Jonnu Smith
• Hunter Henry
• Devin Asiasi
• Dalton Keene

Center

• David Andrews
• Ted Karras

Guard

• Shaq Mason
• Michael Onwenu
• Justin Herron

Tackle

• Isaiah Wynn
• Trent Brown
• Yodny Cajuste
• Kenny Cunningham
• William Sherman (Rookie)

 Sony Michel’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, and Awards

• Super Bowl LIII Champion
• Rose Bowl Champion (2018)
• Rose Bowl Game MVP (2018)
• SEC Champion (2017)
• USA Today High School All – American (2013)

Isaiah Wynn’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, and Awards

• Super Bowl LIII Champion
• First Team All – SEC (2017)

Odds to Win Super Bowl LVI

According to Intertops sportsbook these are the odds to win Super Bowl LVI as of Wednesday, May 5^th, 2021. Currently the New England Patriots have the overall 14^th highest odds out of the 32 franchises in the National Football League to win the upcoming Super Bowl LVI. This is surprising to me I thought they would have been assigned lower odds then that by Intertops book makers.

Team                                                   Odds

Kansas City Chiefs                             +450

Tampa Bay Buccaneers                      +700

Buffalo Bills                                       +1100

Los Angeles Rams                              +1200

Green Bay Packers                             +1200

San Francisco 49ers                            +1200

Baltimore Ravens                               +1600

Indianapolis Colts                               +2000

Cleveland Browns                              +2000

Denver Broncos                                  +2000

New Orleans Saints                            +2500

Seattle Seahawks                                +2500

Miami Dolphins                                  +2500

New England Patriots                      +2800

Los Angeles Chargers                         +2800

Dallas Cowboys                                  +2800

Pittsburgh Steelers                              +3300

Tennessee Titans                                +3300

Chicago Bears                                     +4000

Arizona Cardinals                               +4000

Minnesota Vikings                             +5000

Atlanta Falcons                                   +5000

Carolina Panthers                               +5000

New York Giants                                +6600

Las Vegas Raiders                              +6600

Washington Football Team                +6600

Philadelphia Eagles                            +8000

Jacksonville Jaguars                           +10000

Cincinnati Bengals                             +10000

New York Jets                                     +10000

Houston Texans                                  +15000

Detroit Lions                                       +15000