The New England Patriots put the screws to the Buffalo Bills last week signing Mike Gillislee to an offer sheet, which Buffalo has since declined to match.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news.
Bills declined to match two-year, $6.4 million offer sheet that RB Mike Gillislee signed with Patriots, per source. Gillislee now a Pat.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2017
The Patriots are set to pay Gillislee $4 million in 2017, with the two-year deal being worth 6.4 million, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
This is the same type of move the Patriots made to acquire receiver Chris Hogan last offseason. That deal didn’t work out too well for Buffalo, and it’s hard to imagine the Bills will get enough out of their fifth-round draft pick in exchange for letting their restricted free agent go this time around.
Last season, Gillislee was highly productive in limited action for the Bills. He gained 577 yards and scored eight touchdowns on just 101 carries and has the kind of shifty after-the-catch abilities to be an effective weapon in New England’s offense.