Last year, New England signed running back Mike Gillislee to a two-year, $6.4 million contract and sent a fifth-round draft pick to Buffalo to acquire him as a restricted free agent. This year, Gillislee is in danger of not making the Patriots’ roster.
The Patriots are likely to keep four or five running backs, and three of them -- Rex Burkhead, James White and first-round draft pick Sony Michel -- are locks. Gillislee, Jeremy Hill, Brandon Bolden and undrafted free agent Ralph Webb will all be competing to make the roster, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
That points to what a disappointment Gillislee was last year: Although he was New England’s primary ball carrier for the first half of the season, he was benched for the second half of the season and only played in one game after Week Eight. He was a healthy scratch for all three postseason games.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick will need to see more out of Gillislee in training camp and the preseason, or else Gillislee will be an unrestricted free agent a year after the Patriots signed him to a two-year deal as a restricted free agent.
