Subscribe
Follow Us
It didn’t take very long for Mike Gillislee to find himself a new team. Shortly after his release from the New England Patriots, the veteran running back has signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints after visiting with the team, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The #Saints are signing former #Patriots RB Mike Gillislee on a 1-year deal, source said. More firepower for their backfield.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 2, 2018
A five-year NFL veteran, the 27-year-old Gillislee played last season with the Patriots after spending the previous two years with the Buffalo Bills. He had a promising start to his time in New England as he had a consistent role on offense for the first half of the season.
However, he suddenly saw his role on the team disappear. He went seven games inactive after Week 8 and was played no part in the team’s playoff run. He appeared in just nine games in total, racking up 383 rushing yards with five touchdowns.
Article Continues Below
Gillislee will now join a Saints team which is still looking to settle on a backup running back for Alvin Kamara while Mark Ingram serves his four-game suspension.
The Saints brought in veterans Terrance West and Shane Vereen earlier this offseason to help fill the void left by Ingram. But they decided to release West a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile, Vereen has landed on injured reserve after a finger injury. They also cut Jonathan Williams, which was somewhat surprising given his strong showing in preseason.
Gillislee will be favored to pick up the majority of the touches behind Kamara in the Saints backfield while Ingram is away. Rookie sixth-rounder Boston Scott will also be in contention for the remaining snaps at running back.
