Patriots Rumors: Mike Gillislee, Phillip Dorsett to get another shot
Recent New England Patriots rumors involve running back Mike Gillislee and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, both of whom are expected to remain with the team.
With NFL Free Agency about to begin, New England Patriots rumors have been picking up. The Patriots are near the bottom of the league in available cap space, so they will have to do some maneuvering in the coming days to free up some money to spend.
We have already seen them do some roster house cleaning in recent days. Tight end Martellus Bennett and defensive tackle Alan Branch were both let go. Wide receiver Kenny Britt had his option reportedly picked up for 2018. The Patriots already filled the hole left by Branch by acquiring Danny Shelton from the Cleveland Browns in a trade.
Those moves were just the beginning, as there is still plenty of work to be done. From the sounds of it, we know two more players that will be on the roster next season.
According to Ben Volin of the Boston Herald, things are looking good for running back Mike Gillislee. Nothing is yet set in stone according to Volin, but Gillislee is likely to receive another shot with the Patriots in 2018.
The Patriots running back group could look vastly different in 2018 than 2017. Gillislee spent most of the second half of the season on the inactive list. Dion Lewis seized control of the backfield, taking all of Gillislee work. James White worked passing downs, while Rex Burkhead was used in both scenarios.
With Lewis and Burkhead free agents, it looks like Gillislee will be retained. His contract is cheap at $1.9 million, which helps his cause. Lewis and Burkhead were also the early-down backs for New England. If both of them are gone, Gillislee could help fill that role.
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Gillislee ran for 383 yards on 104 carries, scoring five touchdowns as well. Gillislee’s nose for the end zone is something New England likes, as he has 13 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons.
In addition to Gillislee, the Patriots are also expected to hold onto wide receiver, Phillip Dorsett. The former first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts was acquired in a trade right before the regular season. Dorsett was sent to New England, while quarterback Jacoby Brissett was sent to Indianapolis.
Dorsett was behind the eight-ball coming in so late, yet he still appeared in 15 games with New England. He caught 18 passes for 194 yards in the regular season, adding one rush for seven yards.
Like Gillislee, Dorsett gives the Patriots a cheap option at wide receiver. He is due only $1.544 million in 2018. That is a palatable number for a team that is cash-strapped and could lose Danny Amendola in free agency.
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According to Volin, Dorsett has a $450,000 roster bonus due on the fifth day of training camp. That will be an important date to keep an eye on. If he remains on the roster beyond that day, it is likely he will stick with the team through the season.