Patriots' Mike Gillislee: Off to slow start

Gillislee "did not appear to be as quick or fluid" as most of the Patriots' other running backs during positional work in the team's current voluntary OTAs, Paul Perillo of the team's official site reports.

There's time for Gillislee to pick up the pace, but his outlook with the Patriots has changed quite a bit since last spring when he was signed to replace LeGarrette Blount as the team's "big back." His projected assignment appeared to carry TD-upside with it, but after a strong start, things fizzled out for Gillislee in 2017. He's fighting for a roster spot at this stage, with Brandon Bolden, Jeremy Hill and undrafted free agent Ralph Webb also battling for slotting behind roster locks Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and James White.