Patriots steal another Bills free agent after Buffalo declines to match Mike Gillislee contract

The New England Patriots have already added Rex Burkhead to a running back stable that includes undefeated Dion Lewis, Super Bowl hero James White, and roster standby Brandon Bolden. Last Tuesday, Bill Belichick set a move in motion that wouldn’t just add another runner to the roster, but also hurt a division rival.

The Patriots offered Bills restricted free agent Mike Gillislee a two-year, $6.4 million contract, a move that would likely peg the former Florida Gator as the team’s primary ball carrier. Adding Gillislee, the sixth tailback on the team’s preseason roster, would likely spell the end of LeGarrette Blount’s tenure in New England, as well.

On Monday, the Bills announced they would not match the front-loaded deal the Patriots offered their backup tailback. As a result, Buffalo will receive New England’s fifth round pick — No. 163 overall — as compensation.

Gillislee was one of the league’s most effective tailbacks in 2016, gaining 5.7 yards per carry as LeSean McCoy’s backup. Despite making only one start last fall, he still managed to score nine touchdowns — second on the team only to McCoy. While he doesn’t offer the same kind of power running Blount does — he only weighs 208 pounds, compared to Blount’s 245 — he’d give the team another shifty tailback with far fewer miles on his tires than his predecessor.

Though the Bills’ back doesn’t offer much in the passing game, the Patriots have the personnel to make a platoon work. Lewis, White, and Burkhead are all accomplished receivers out of the backfield, and their presence would allow Gillislee to focus on running first and foremost.

Buffalo ultimately balked at the cost of re-signing the player who looked like McCoy’s heir apparent in 2016. Only two tailbacks signed this offseason have inked a deal for more than the $6.4 million New England is offering. An average annual value of $3.2 million is a steep cost for a backup running back; for comparison, DeAngelo Williams averaged just $2 million per year to spell Le’Veon Bell with the Steelers.

It’s not the first time they lost a restricted free agent to their most dangerous rivals. The Patriots stole away wide receiver Chris Hogan on a three-year, $12 million deal when Buffalo refused to match their offer in 2016. The dynamic deep threat responded with the best season of his career, a 680-yard campaign in which he led the league in yards per reception at 17.9.

Like Hogan, Gillislee isn’t an all-around threat, but he does one thing really, really well. After adding the former Buffalo backup, he’ll give Tom Brady another offensive standout who can provide a home-run threat every time he touches the ball.