Learning the New England Patriots’ offensive playbook can be daunting for many players — so much so that rookie running backs typically take a redshirt season to fully grasp it.
Mike Gillislee, the running back the Patriots acquired as a restricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills, has a head start, however. He explained why when asked about his goals before training camp.
“Just learning that playbook, but I played in this playbook in college my sophomore year up under Charlie Weis,” Gillislee said on Patriots All Access last week. “It was similar.”
Gillislee was a teammate of Patriots third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett when Weis was offensive coordinator at the University of Florida in 2011.
Weis was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2004. They still run the same basic system — though it has evolved — under Josh McDaniels.
Gillislee is competing for the starting role in the Patriots’ backfield. He’s the favorite because of the compensation required to add him.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
