The Patriots will receive two draft picks from the Rams in today’s trade of running back Sony Michel.
After some confusion earlier in the day about what the Rams actually gave up to get Michel, the NFL transaction wire made clear that the Patriots will get the Rams’ 2022 sixth-round pick and 2023 fourth-round pick.
Earlier reports indicated that the Patriots would get a 2022 fourth-round compensatory pick if the Rams were awarded one, and fifth- and sixth-round picks if the Rams didn’t get a fourth-round compensatory pick. But according to Jordan Rodrigue of TheAthletic.com, the league ruled that type of conditional compensation isn’t allowed, and so the Rams and Patriots revised the trade terms.
Getting a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick back for Michel when it wasn’t even clear he was going to make the roster this year is solid value for the Patriots, and it’s a significant cost for the Rams when Michel is going into the final year of his contract. But the Rams have made no secret that they’re going all-in to win this year, and they’ll trade away whatever picks they need to trade.