Gillislee reflects on last year's struggles, what he needs to do to climb depth chart again

FOXBOROUGH — It is a new year. A new slate. For everyone, including Mike Gillislee.

There are few people who endured the same sort of seasonal roller coaster as Gillislee did in 2017. A year that opened with him as the No. 1 back and four rushing touchdowns in the first two games ended on a down note, as he suffered injuries and was surpassed on the depth chart down the stretch and into the playoffs. By the time Super Bowl week rolled around, I found him sitting at the back of a ballroom during media availability in the dark, fiddling with his phone by himself and looking like he’d rather be anywhere else other than the center of the sports universe.

But on Thursday, after the first full-padded practice of the summer, Gillislee was back between the tackles, feeling good about himself and his chances again. In goal-line and other drills, he was the first back in the rotation on several occasions during 11-on-11 work, ahead of teammates Rex Burkhead, Sony Michel and James White. Compared to last season, he appeared to have a nice, low pad level, and he showed more decisiveness.

It’s the first week of camp, but the sight of him looking nimble while working as a lead back left him with a smile on his face after the two-hour workout. Gillislee is looking to reset the narrative, and this week represents the start of that conversation.


“Everything that happened last year is in the past. From the moment we stepped on the field for the conditioning test, it was a whole new year for me,” he told BostonSportsJournal.com after Saturday’s fully padded workout. “A new beginning for everybody. I’m just trying to take advantage of the opportunity that’s in front of me.”

There were a half-million reports this offseason the Patriots were either close to trading or cutting Gillislee. But a solid spring — and the departure of Dion Lewis in free agency — revealed a window of opportunity, at least to start the season, one he’s carried into the first week of training camp.

“Being in shells and helmets, it’s good, because you get better in the passing game. And especially that’s good for me,” said Gillislee, who has only 16 career receptions but is looking to expand his game as a potential pass catcher. “But it’s always good to put on pads and get the contact, especially being a runner, because you can get into that blocking.”

A stretch on the sidelines can be a humbling experience for anyone, much less a guy who is averaged almost 6 yards per carry on 101 carries the year before. But Gillislee, who ended up playing just nine games last season (only one after Halloween), says it was a teachable moment. He sustained a hamstring issue last year, which he says was the first domino in a chain of events that led him to tumble down the depth chart -- from Week 7 on, he had just 25 carries for 93 yards and one touchdown.

Going forward, the lesson for Gillislee is clear.

“You just have to take care of your body more,” he said when asked what he learned about himself last season. “You just have to study more. You just have to want to improve every day. Last year is last year. It’s in the past. Everything is going right, right now.”