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Why the Patriots and Rams were forced to change the terms of the Sony Michel trade

When news broke that the New England Patriots had traded running back Sony Michel to the Los Angeles Rams, the original reports had the compensation as a pair of conditional late-round selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. The conditions were later added as well, with New England’s haul depending on the Rams’ compensatory draft choices next spring.

If L.A. was awarded a compensatory pick in the fourth round — one the team was expected to receive after losing safety John Johnson to the Cleveland Browns in free agency — then that choice would transfer to the Patriots.