Sony Michel back in L.A. as Chargers sign running back after Dolphins let him go

The Chargers spent all of training camp and the preseason searching for a backup to Austin Ekeler.

Then they spent a few more days, signing veteran running back Sony Michel on Wednesday.

Released this week by Miami, Michel was with the Rams last season, rushing for 845 yards and catching 21 passes for another 128 yards. He played 49% of the team’s regular-season offensive snaps.

“A guy that has been successful in the league,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. “A good runner. An every-down back. He’s a guy that we think is going to add some value.”

The Chargers released running back Larry Rountree III to make room for Michel on the 53-man roster. Rountree was a sixth-round pick in 2021 and appeared in 12 games last season.

Michel joins third-year pro Joshua Kelley and rookie Isaiah Spiller behind Ekeler, who is coming off a season in which had career highs in carries (206), rushing yards (911) and touches (276).

The Chargers have been trying to identify a complement to Ekeler in order to lessen his workload. Kelley finished the preseason with a strong effort against New Orleans and appeared to be the obvious leader.

Spiller, a fourth-round pick in April, has been dealing with an ankle injury and returned to individual drills in practice this week.

New England drafted Michel late in the first round in 2018 and he spent three years there, winning a Super Bowl during his rookie season.

He ran for 1,843 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in his first two years with the Patriots before a quadriceps injury and COVID-19 limited him to nine games in 2020.

In August of last year, New England traded Michel to the Rams, who were looking for help after losing Cam Akers to a torn Achilles tendon.

Michel won his second Super Bowl in February. Three months later, he signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins. His release this week caught some people around the league off guard.

“Nothing against the guys we have,” Lombardi said, “we just thought he was a good player that surprisingly became available, someone that we had high grades on.”

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Lombardi said Trey Pipkins III won the right tackle job over Storm Norton based on a superior showing not only in pass blocking but also run blocking.

“He’s done a really good job this last year, just becoming more consistent,” Lombardi said. “That was the big thing that was holding him back last year. We saw him improve.”

Opening the season as a starter marks a significant achievement for a player who was drafted in the third round in 2019 out of Sioux Falls. Pipkins has made 10 starts – two last season – over his three years with the Chargers.

“There are times that I look back and I’m like, ‘Oh, I wish that I played a little better here,’ obviously, things like that,” he said. “But it all led me to where I’m at now, and I’m ready to take advantage of it.”

Norton will start the season as the Chargers swing tackle. Lombardi said rookie Jamaree Salyer will be the swing guard.

“I think that we’re solid across the board, and we have good depth,” Lombardi said of the offensive line overall. “I’m more comfortable than I was a year ago, for sure.”

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Something to watch, however, could be the health of Corey Linsley. The veteran center walked off the field early in practice Tuesday with head athletic trainer Damon Mitchell.

Linsley wasn’t practicing Wednesday during the media-viewing portion. The Chargers begin the season Sept. 11 against Las Vegas and then play at Kansas City four days later.

Linsley recently was selected by his peers as the NFL’s 60th-best player. He was one of a league-high eight Chargers to make the top 100.

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Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill spoke highly of rookie cornerback Deane Leonard, who struggled at times in training camp and the preseason but found his way on to Chargers’ initial 53-man roster.

The coaches have touted Leonard’s skills since the team drafted him in the seventh round out of Mississippi.

“It’s hard to pass on corners because this league is very scarce with that position,” Hill said. “When you get a six-foot guy who runs 4.3, who’s coachable and keeps improving on his game, it’s kind of hard to pass up on a guy because that can be somebody else’s treasure down the road. We definitely think Deane has a lot of growth potential there and he can be a big player in this league.”

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The Chargers signed 14 players to their practice squad Wednesday: defensive backs Kemon Hall, Michael Jacquet, Raheem Layne and Mark Webb Jr.; wide receivers Michael Bandy, Jason Moore Jr. and Joe Reed; defensive linemen Christian Covington and Joe Gaziano; offensive linemen Zack Bailey and Foster Sarell; edge rusher Carlo Kemp; linebacker Tyreek Maddox-Williams; and tight end Hunter Kampmoyer.