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Mike Gillislee

Colts Work Out RB Mike Gillislee

August 2nd, 2019 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent running back Mike Gillislee will work out for the Colts on Friday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Gillislee also worked out for the Raiders this week, so he might not be far from finding work. 

Prior to the Colts and Raiders auditions, the 28-year-old back (29 in November) worked out for the Lions and Jaguars. He has not been able to replicate his take-notice work with the 2016 Bills, for whom he scored nine touchdowns and averaged 5.7 yards per carry as LeSean McCoy‘s backup.

After a three-touchdown opening night with the 2017 Pats, Gillislee has not been given many opportunities. He saw his New England role reduced as 2017 wore on and received just 16 carries in four games with New Orleans last season.

Spencer Ware is still on the PUP list, so Gillislee might be able to fill a spot on the roster behind starter Marlon Mack and backups like Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins.

Raiders To Work Out RB Mike Gillislee

July 31st, 2019 at 3:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Gillislee will participate in his third known workout for a team this year. The Raiders are set to audition the former Dolphins, Bills, Patriots and Saints running back, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The 28-year-old back worked out for the Lions and Jaguars earlier this year. He has not been able to replicate his take-notice work with the 2016 Bills, for whom he scored nine touchdowns and averaged 5.7 yards per carry as LeSean McCoy‘s backup.

After a three-touchdown opening night with the 2017 Pats, Gillislee has not been given many opportunities. He saw his New England role reduced as 2017 wore on and received just 16 carries in four games with New Orleans last season.

The Raiders re-signed Doug Martin and gave Jalen Richard a second-round tender. Those two represent Oakland’s top depth pieces behind assumed starter Josh Jacobs. Reggie McKenzie-era draft pick DeAndre Washington remains on the roster as well.

Jaguars Work Out RB Mike Gillislee

May 16th, 2019 at 4:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars worked out free agent Mike Gillislee on Thursday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Jags were one of five teams that tried to sign the running back last year and they could be on the verge of adding him for 2019. 

Gillislee enjoyed a breakout season in 2016 as he averaged 5.7 yards per carry on 101 handoffs with the Bills. In the following offseason, the Pats signed him to a two-year, $6.4MM deal, but he didn’t get a ton of opportunities in 2017, outside of his three-touchdown performance in Week 1.

After missing New England’s cut in 2018 – and garnering interest from the Jaguars, Lions, and other clubs – Gillislee hooked on with the Saints. He averaged just 2.7 yards in the first four games of the year and was pushed aside after Mark Ingram returned from suspension.

The Jaguars used a fifth-round pick to select Temple running back Ryquell Armstead, but they’re still on the lookout for help behind starter Leonard Fournette. Insurance for the 24-year-old is key after he missed half of the 2018 season.

Lions Work Out RB Mike Gillislee

February 15th, 2019 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions hosted and worked out free agent running back Mike Gillislee on Thursday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Lions showed interest in him after he missed the Patriots’ cut in 2018, Rapoport notes, so this could be a good fit for the 28-year-old. 

Gillislee enjoyed a breakout season in 2016 as he averaged 5.7 yards per carry on 101 handoffs with the Bills. In the following offseason, the Pats signed him to a two-year, $6.4MM deal, but he didn’t get a ton of opportunities in 2017, outside of his three-touchdown performance in Week 1. After missing the cut in 2018, Gillislee hooked on with the Saints. He averaged just 2.7 yards in the first four games of the year and was pushed aside after Mark Ingram returned from suspension.

The Lions could view Gillislee as a decent backup option behind star Kerryon Johnson. LeGarrette Blount didn’t do much last year with the Lions and he’s scheduled to reach free agency on March 13. Like Blount, Gillislee also has experience with coach Matt Patricia dating back to their days in New England.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Rodgers, Jets, Tannehill, Dolphins, Patriots, Gillislee

October 7th, 2018 at 9:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

NFLPA boss DeMaurice Smith traveled to Houston to meet with the Texans about a potential upcoming labor battle according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Wilson writes that Smith’s message to the team was “that it’s time to get prepared with a labor battle looming on the horizon.” The current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2021, and a “potential work stoppage is a strong potential scenario” Wilson writes.

Many players have voiced their displeasure with the CBA in recent years, and it sounds like another lockout is a strong possibility. Some players have even referred to a lockout as an inevitability due to how far apart players and owners are on several key issues. The league infamously had a lockout in 2011, and it’s now widely agreed that the owners won those negotiations. The players will likely drive much harder bargains this time around, and demand greater guarantees in contracts. It will be a fascinating situation to watch develop as we get closer and closer to the expiration of the CBA.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • It was reported earlier this week that Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers was dealing with a “serious” health injury, and now Mike Garafolo of NFL Network has new details (Twitter link). Garafolo writes that it “sounds like it could be an extended absence as he focuses on his health.” Rodgers missed the Jets’ win over the Broncos today, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be back anytime soon.
  • Ryan Tannehill has had a rough couple of weeks, and his performance today was so bad that it prompted reporters to ask Dolphins coach Adam Gase after the game if Tannehill would be benched moving forward. Gase responded that Tannehill wouldn’t be benched yet according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), but it’s still surprising that it’s reached that point. The Dolphins have only Brock Osweiler and David Fales behind him on the depth chart.
  • It was reported earlier that the Patriots were planning on doing something to address the fact that they had just two running backs on the roster, and now we might have an idea what. New England has “been in contact” with ex-Patriot Mike Gillislee a source told Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). Gillislee was recently cut by the Saints, and it sounds like we could see a reunion soon.

 

Saints To Cut RB Mike Gillislee

October 6th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints cycled through a few running backs between the time Mark Ingram‘s suspension was announced and his impending return, but with Ingram on his way back, New Orleans’ backfield situation has the kind of clarity it did last season.

As such, less depth is required. The Saints will release Mike Gillislee to make room for an Ingram activation, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com tweets.

Gillislee received the most handoffs of any non-Alvin Kamara Saints back this season, taking 16. He gained just 43 yards on those plays, however, averaging 2.7 yards per carry. New Orleans added Gillislee just before the season but now has Dwayne Washington in place behind Kamara and Ingram. Gillislee also lost a fumble during his Saints stay.

New Orleans has employed Gillislee, Washington, Terrance West, Shane Vereen and Jonathan Williams during Ingram’s suspension. Kamara has handled most of the work, as expected. He’s gained 611 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns in four games. Ingram and Kamara in 2017 became the first backfield teammates in NFL history to each surpass 1,500 yards from scrimmage in a season.

The Patriots released Gillislee prior to the season opener.

Patriots Notes: Gordon, Cooks, Gronk

September 30th, 2018 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

New Patriots wideout Josh Gordon will make his New England debut today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Gordon was inactive for last week’s loss against the Lions, but the Pats are sorely in need of some playmaking ability at the wide receiver position, and Gordon certainly has the potential to give them exactly that.

Let’s take a quick look at a few more notes out of Foxboro as the Patriots get set to take on the Dolphins in what could surprisingly be a pivotal divisional matchup:

  • Speaking of playmaking wideouts, given the disappointing performance of New England’s receiving corps thus far, plenty are wondering whether the Pats were right to trade Brandin Cooks to the Rams in the offseason. When factoring in what the team netted in its trade to acquire Cooks from the Saints in 2017 and the trade that sent him to LA, Doug Kyed of NESN.com believes the Patriots were right to make the move. The Pats ultimately received a year of Cooks, a 2017 third-round pick, the 2018 No. 23 overall pick, and a 2018 sixth-rounder in exchange for another year of Cooks, a 2017 fourth-round pick, the 2017 No. 32 overall pick, and a 2018 fourth-round pick. That represents good value, especially when considering the Pats would have had to pay Cooks $8.5MM this year and might have received a 2020 compensatory third-rounder if they let him walk in free agency (which they almost certainly would have). Plus, New England could not have predicted the Julian Edeleman suspension, so even though the results might indicate the Cooks trade was a bad one with the benefit of hindsight, Kyed believes the process was right.
  • The Patriots have already put nine players on IR since the start of training camp, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com observes. Reiss points out that the team put just 11 players on IR all of last season, and just four during the 2016 Super Bowl season. Reiss notes that only Rex Burkhead and Duke Dawson are the only two players who could realistically return from IR in 2018.
  • In light of last week’s Rob Gronkowski trade reports, Reiss points out that there had not been much communication between Gronk and the Pats before the star tight end was informed of the potential trade to Detroit. Reiss wonders whether New England really would have pulled the trigger on the deal, or if it simply used the trade as a way to reignite conversations with Gronkowski
  • Reiss also notes that last week’s AFC Defensive Player of the Week, the Bills’ Matt Milano, was drafted by Buffalo with the fifth-rounder it acquired from the Pats when New England signed then-RFA Mike Gillislee. Needless to say, that transaction looks like a big win for the Bills right now.
  • The Patriots cut Gordon’s former Browns teammate, Corey Coleman, from their practice squad yesterday.

Saints Sign RB Mike Gillislee

September 2nd, 2018 at 5:09pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are adding a running back, signing veteran Mike Gillislee according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Rapsheet reports that it’s a one-year deal for Gillislee. The Saints were looking for running back help with Mark Ingram suspended for the first four games of the season. Saints coach Sean Payton has emphasized over and over that the team wants to avoid putting too much wear on Alvin Kamara, so Gillislee could play a significant role on early downs.

Gillislee was cut by the Patriots as they trimmed their roster to 53 yesterday. New England was very high on Gillislee when they signed him away from the Bills as a restricted free agent before the 2017 season. He scored three touchdowns in week one of last year, but his role gradually decreased as the season went on and he was a healthy scratch down the stretch.

The writing was on the wall for Gillislee when the Patriots signed Jeremy Hill in free agency and drafted Sony Michel in the first round of this year’s draft. He now finds a new home in New Orleans after the Saints surprisingly cut preseason star Jonathan Williams yesterday. They wasted no time bringing in Gillislee, and he should stick with the team the entire season.

Mike Gillislee To Visit Saints

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:17am CST by Rory Parks

Running back Mike Gillislee, whom the Patriots released yesterday, is visiting with the Saints this morning, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Herbie Teope of NFL.com tweets, New Orleans would be a logical fit for Gillislee, as the club currently has just two running backs on the active roster after yesterday’s cuts (Alvin Kamara and rookie Boston Scott).

Last offseason, Gillislee signed with New England as a restricted free agent after an excellent 2016 campaign in Buffalo. But despite a three-touchdown debut for the Pats in the 2017 season opener, he could not carve out much of a role in Foxborough, and his release yesterday was anything but surprising. He finished his New England tenure with 383 rushing yards (3.7 per carry) and five touchdowns.

But the 27-year-old has plenty of ability, and he and Kamara could form a nice 1-2 punch in the Big Easy. When Mark Ingram returns from suspension, that trio would represent one of the best RB corps in the league, especially as they have complementary skill-sets.

Gillislee, a Florida product, was selected by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He has spent his entire career in the AFC East, having played two seasons in Miami, two in Buffalo, and one in New England.

Patriots Make Roster Cuts

September 1st, 2018 at 5:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots are the latest team to move to 53 players by making the following transactions:

Placed on injured reserve:

Cut:

New England kept only three true wide receivers on its initial roster, meaning the club will almost surely be searching for more options on the waiver wire.

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