Gilliam signed a three year deal this offseason to join Drake Maye and the Patriots in 2026.
If anyone has been overlooked in his NFL career, it's newly signed New England Patriots fullback Reggie Gilliam.
In six seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Gilliam had only 24 carries. Now, in Josh McDaniels' offense, which Drake Maye executes, Gilliam plans to expand his talents and be a key to its success.
Gilliam spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said, "I feel like I've been underutilized before, and I feel like a lot of people don't know what I can do with the ball in my hand because it hasn't been displayed. I haven't really had the opportunity to do so, but I definitely feel like there's some untapped potential there."
Gilliam also talked about the connection he is forming with third-year quarterback Drake Maye, and apparently, the two hit it right off when they met.
"Drake and I hit it off the bat right away," Gilliam told reporters. "From the very first workout on the field we were stretching together, just getting to know each other, and the last couple of days we've been meeting after are a little practice out there and just kind of going over some schemes."
Gilliam signed a three-year deal worth up to $12 million. With all the blocking he did for Josh Allen in Buffalo, it feels like Gilliam can be another worthy addition to keeping Drake Maye safe in the pocket.
Let's also not forget how much the Patriots organization has valued the fullback position over the years. Names like James Devlin, Patrick Pass, and Heath Evans come to mind, or, to go even further back, Sam Gash.
All of which were a force in the blocking game and a threat on the field when they had the ball. Even Gilliam gave a shoutout to Devlin when he spoke to reporters.
"I was actually watching film yesterday, and I saw James Develin split out running a go route, and I was just like, 'Hey, if he can do it, I can definitely do it.' No disrespect to James, but I'm a little more agile than him. It's nice to see that Josh values the position in a way more than just running your head into a wall."
With a lot of new free agents in the mix for the Patriots, offensive players need to have a lot of synergy with Maye. Judging by his press conference on Tuesday, Gilliam and Maye seem to have a lot of that.
Patriots Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Patriots. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.