Mike Gillislee Signed to Offer Sheet by Patriots; Bills Have Option to Match

Buffalo Bills running back Mike Gillislee received a two-year, $6.4 million offer sheet from the AFC East rival New England Patriots on Tuesday. Buffalo must now decide whether to match the contract.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported terms of the deal for the restricted free agent. ESPN's Field Yates confirmed the offer sheet, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, who noted the Bills would be entitled to a fifth-round draft pick if they allow Gillislee to join the Pats.

Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reported the Bills aren't expected to match the offer.

The situation is a prime example of why Buffalo owns the league's longest playoff drought at 17 years.

The Bills placed an original-round tender on Gillislee in March. They selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, but he's developed into a top-tier backup running back. He's averaged 5.6 yards per carry across 23 career games and scored nine total touchdowns in 15 appearances last season.

Based on figures provided by Yates, Buffalo could have used a second-round tender for less than $1 million more ($2.746 million). Instead, Rapoport noted the Patriots' contract offer pays $4 million in the first year, which could make it tough for the Bills to match.

Gillislee is not an elite rusher by any means, but he's an ideal backup who could have been safely tendered for a little bit more. Now Buffalo is in danger of losing another talented RFA to the Patriots, who used the same approach last year to pull wide receiver Chris Hogan away from Western New York.

Josh Norris of Rotoworld summed up the last few offseasons perfectly with a Bill Belichick GIF:

The Bills have five days to decide whether to match New England's offer, per Rapoport. Along with starter LeSean McCoy, Jonathan Williams, Mike Tolbert and Patrick DiMarco are the other notable backfield assets on the roster, which could lead the organization to let Gillislee walk.

All told, the Bills will either lose a rock-solid running back or be forced to pay him about $1.25 million extra next season due to the tender they placed on him.

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