Patriots Rumors: Mike Gillislee fighting for roster spot
Recent New England Patriots rumors involve running back Mike Gillislee, who will be fighting for his roster spot this offseason.
With the NFL offseason over, for the most part, New England Patriots rumors have quieted down. The most active time of the offseason is over, as the waves of free agency are over and the NFL Draft occurred a few weeks ago. Now teams will make preparations for the offseason workouts.
For some players, this is an important part of the year. Some teams have upwards of 90 players on their rosters. That number will almost be cut in half by the time the season rolls around, as teams can have 53 players on their roster.
With new players joining rosters via the draft, there are some veterans that could be on the chopping block. In New England, nine players were selected in the 2018 NFL Draft. A majority of those players, especially the early round picks, are locks for the roster.
As a result, there could be people losing their jobs that were on the roster last season. One player to keep an eye on is running back Mike Gillislee.
The Patriots signed Gillislee away from the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills last offseason. Poaching players from AFC East teams is nothing new for New England, as they have a habit of taking players that may have been overlooked by other teams and turning them into key parts of their lineup.
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Gillislee looked like he was going to be the next free agency steal for the Patriots. He started the 2017 season with a bang, rushing for four touchdowns the first two weeks of the season. Those were the only touchdowns he scored all season outside a Week 15 score against his former team.
Injuries and ineffectiveness hurt Gillislee after those first two weeks of the season. Dion Lewis took over the lead back role in the backfield and never looked back.
While Lewis left in free agency, the Patriots backfield is still crowded. Rex Burkhead was re-signed, while Jeremy Hill was signed as well. James White is still on the roster, and the Patriots used the No. 31 pick on Georgia running back, Sony Michel.
As a result, Gillislee’s roster spot is in serious danger. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Gillislee will be fighting for a roster spot this offseason.
Here is what Reiss said during his mailbag.
"Gary, the biggest takeaway for me is that Mike Gillislee, barring an injury to others, is fighting for a roster spot after opening last season as the team’s No. 1 running back. First-round draft pick Sony Michel, six-year veteran Rex Burkhead and “passing back” James White are locks, which leaves Gillislee, Jeremy Hill, Brandon Bolden and undrafted free agent Ralph Webb as the next layer on the depth chart vying for one or two spots. That’s an unexpected turn for Gillislee, who signed a two-year, $6.4 million contract as a restricted free agent last offseason, costing the Patriots a fifth-round draft choice when Buffalo didn’t match the offer (the Bills selected linebacker Matt Milano with the pick). Part of the reason Gillislee’s spot on the roster isn’t a guarantee is that the Patriots could cut him with no dead money on the salary cap, which is another important layer to consider. So Gillislee, who totaled 383 yards and five touchdowns on 104 carries last season and lost the top spot on the depth chart to Dion Lewis in Week 6, is one of the fascinating personnel storylines heading into 2018."
Things are not looking good for Gillislee right now. The Patriots backfield is crowded with players ahead of him whose roster spots are guaranteed. Burkhead, White and Michel are guaranteed spots. Brandon Bolden probably is as well given his contributions on special teams.
Another telling sign was the addition of Hill in free agency. He does his best work on early downs, which is the only time Gillislee is useable. That was probably a sign of things to come. The selection of Michel was further indication that the Patriots may not have confidence in Gillislee heading into the season.
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As Reiss notes, an injury would be needed for Gillislee to really have a shot to make the roster. If no injuries occur, Gillislee will have to blow away the coaching staff in workouts, showing an improvement in the passing game as well. His versatility, or lack thereof, is arguably the biggest knock against him when compared to other running backs on the roster.