On the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, the New England Patriots have made a pair of moves at their fullback position. After tendering exclusive rights free agent Jack Westover, New England then signed unrestricted free agent Reggie Gilliam to a three-year deal.
Let’s break down what the moves mean for the team from a big-picture perspective.
FB Reggie Gilliam: Signed to 3-year contract
Upgrading the run game: New England’s run game was one of the least efficient in football last season, which left a need to upgrade the run blocking
personnel. After running 21 personnel at the fourth-highest rate in football, that included upgrading at fullback where they now land Gilliam, who was one of the best run blocking skill players in all of football last season and was a big part of the Bills’ No. 1 ranked rushing attack.
Different mold: Under Josh McDaniels, the Patriots typically employed bigger, downhill fullbacks in their offense. Gilliam features a different type of skillset at 6-foot, 244 pounds and is at his best as a movement piece — something Mike Vrabel touched on when discussing blocking tight ends at the NFL Combine.
“You see these — as I talk about it, being able to create some movement before the snap going laterally, that then could transition into getting into the line of scrimmage,” Vrabel said.
And while Gilliam only caught three passes over the last three seasons, he does have the ability to contribute as a pass catcher while serving as a four-unit special teamer throughout his Bills career.
FB Jack Westover: Tendered
Minor investment: Just before the legal tampering window opened, New England tendered Jack Westover which comes with a non-guaranteed salary of just $1.075 million. For the tight-end-converted-fullback who played 22 percent of the team’s offensive snaps last season while taking on a special teams role, it’s a move that will have minimal impact on New England’s finances.
Uncertain future: In addition to the minimum financial investment, the addition of Gilliam makes it hard to see a return to the 53-man roster for Westover next season. The Patriots run game struggled with Westover on the field last season which led to the team targeting Gilliam in free agency. It also hurts the future of UDFA Brock Lampe, who seemed set to make the roster last year as a traditional fullback before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
