Patriots Learn Today If They Get Gillislee, Close Door on Blount

[maineman209]

Definitely hoping to get him. Assuming Bills match because they can. Kind of a win-win, though, either we get him or we get the Bills to take an additional $2M or so cap hit above what they would have.

Interestingly, the Bills were #1 in the league in 2016 in both rushing yards and rushing TDs. If the Pats end up with Gillislee, they'll not only have upgraded their own ground game, they'll also have taken a bite out of what a division rival did best last season.

 

[holyredeemer]

If we somehow snag Gillislee and keep Butler this season, my goodness our Madden team is gonna be off the hook!!! I'm gonna have to play a full 15 min quarter as opposed to my 7 min quarters just so I can guarantee that ball is getting spread around. And after the draft, this team is still going to have money to make any moves necessary this season. Never leave us Bill, we love ya!

 

[BobDigital]

feel bad for Blount. He was a work horse for us, and a huge factor in the first 4 games

I do and i don't. Of course I always feel sort of bad when players are not resigned and are winding down. Happens to them all. But I also don't feel bad cause it does happen to them all and they should all know the day will come when they just don't have it anymore.

Blount no doubt has been mentally preparing himself for this as has his family and agent. Everyone knows 30 tends to be the magic number for RBs. Blount had to assume there was a good chance 16 was not just his last year in New England but maybe in the NFL.

It was clear he was losing a step. We saw it deteriorate before our eyes over the course of the year last year and that will probably not get any better. If he wants to keep going 1 more year maybe he can but he now is a guy you sign thinking of a low snap count (maybe 100-150 runs this season). However paying a guy 2-3M for that number of snaps is questionable. To do it you need to be very sure you get quality snaps and that there might be some upside in the future. Blount offers neither of those things at this point.

I wish him all the luck in the world of course but it is not like this was a surprise to him. Heck when you first enter the league they probably tell you the goal is to stick around till the age he is at. He probably knew that from the start.

 

[PatsFan2]

I see why the Pats like Mike Gillislee he's the kinda RB like Dion Lewis who don't need much to make something out of nothing. Burkhead's running style will be a nice compliment too because he runs very north/south no dancing like the Blount. I hope the door on Blount is close thanks for the memories.

 

[varjao]

So at a certain time today we will know if he sucks or is a top 5 RB waiting to happen.

 

[BlueThunder]

Having the Pats backfield get younger will be nice.....experienced yet youthful is a nice combo......

 

[long distance]

Just tell the poor soul already..

 

[borisman]

Just tell the poor soul already..

hahaha....I was going to post that we should look out for a tweet from Gillislee as he may know, through his agent, before the NFL actually announces the news. Looks like he doesn't quite know yet. Thanks for the post.

 

[BlueThunder]

If it is indeed the REAL MG tweet..

 

[fxmallon]

I want the Gillislee deal to happen... a lot.

But Blount will be missed most because of his team support. The guy was always first with the big hugs after big plays--even when he himself was having a poor game. And he was such a critical player in 2015--what an unsurpassable force when he got into the secondary.

 

[GodBrady]

With both Gillislee and Burkhead on the roster, I'd be expecting to something closer to an RBBC this year than the way it worked out in 2016 with one guy at 300 carries (for only the 4th season in the BB Era, btw).

Pats RBs totaled a bit over 400 carries last season - probably about average for the Pats over the last several seasons. With two legit between-the-tackles capable RBs on the roster for 2017, we might see something closer to 450 total carries, breaking down to proportions something like ...

Gillislee, 175-200
Burkhead, 125-150
White and Lewis 50-60 each

If the Bills match and there's no Gillislee, I'd say that there's about a 60% chance that the Pats bring back Blount to share carries with Burkhead for 2017, and then wait until #200 or #239 to draft an RB (if at all), and about a 40% chance that they move on from Blount and draft an RB prospect with the #131 or #163.

Great post. This is exactly what I was thinking too, as far as your "estimated carries" breakdown goes.

 

[sambam94]

So at a certain time today we will know if he sucks or is a top 5 RB waiting to happen.

we have bingo

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

feel bad for Blount. He was a work horse for us, and a huge factor in the first 4 games

He was great last year but seemed to trail off in the playoffs. The fumble in the Super Bowl doesn't improve his stock either.

 

[Raymond]

........ Blount will be missed most because of his team support. The guy was always first with the big hugs after big plays--even when he himself was having a poor game.............

I liked Blount too, but big hugs is not normally a major criteria for roster building.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I liked Blount too, but big hugs is not normally a major criteria for roster building.

Hey now, in his first season this head coach improved his team's win total by *5* games due to big hugs:

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/football-new-england-patriots-coach-****-macpherson-with-qb-scott-picture-id81340884

The guy on the left barely looks like he's aged over the last 26 years....

 

[borisman]

The guy on left is GOAT2 coach we've ever had here (in football that is). Red was OK for the C's.

 

[Patsgofor4]

My spidey sense tells me that they are going to match but are waiting until the last minute to inform the league, just to let the Pats twist in the wind as long as possible. Hope that I'm wrong. There is no way that the Bills are still debating whether to match, less than 3 hours until the deadline. Kind of childish, but I would probably like it if I were a long suffering Bills fan.

 

[Sicilian]

My spidey sense tells me that they are going to match but are waiting until the last minute to inform the league, just to let the Pats twist in the wind as long as possible. Hope that I'm wrong. There is no way that the Bills are still debating whether to match, less than 3 hours until the deadline. Kind of childish, but I would probably like it if I were a long suffering Bills fan.

They may be doing it for childish reasons, but ultimately it's smart. They don't owe the Patriots anything, and god forbid (unlikely as this may be), something happens to McCoy in the offseason, like he decides to go cliff diving or something and blows out a knee, and they need to keep Gillislee. No benefit to declaring anything until you are forced to, really.

 

[Patsgofor4]

They may be doing it for childish reasons, but ultimately it's smart. They don't owe the Patriots anything, and god forbid (unlikely as this may be), something happens to McCoy in the offseason, like he decides to go cliff diving or something and blows out a knee, and they need to keep Gillislee. No benefit to declaring anything until you are forced to, really.

That makes sense only if they are taking the 5th rd pick instead. If that's the case, they can take as long as they want.

 

[Love The Drake]

I think it's disrespectful to Mike for Buff to string him out til the end either way hope we're on to Carlos Hyde.
Only if we would of drafted my binkie Tevin Coleman.