Mike Gillislee lost his battle for a roster spot.
The New England Patriots cut the running back Saturday, Around The NFL's Herbie Teope reported Saturday.
Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald first reported the move.
Gillislee was in a fight with Jeremy Hill throughout training camp for a backup role in New England. It appears Hill won the power-back gig in Tom Brady's offense.
The Patriots entered training camp with three locks to make the roster: Rex Burkhead, James White and rookie Sony Michel. With the first-round pick Michel dealing with injury it opened the door to highlight the Gillislee-Hill competition.
Hill impressed in three preseason games, taking 26 carries for 107 yards (4.1 yards per attempt) and a touchdown, particularly showing out in the first two tilts. Gillislee finished with 33 carries for 100 yards (3.0 yards per carry) in three preseason games.
Gillislee signed a front-loaded, two-year $6.4 million contract last season, but was a healthy scratch down the stretch. Jettisoning the 27-year-old saves the Patriots $2.18 million on the salary cap.
Despite losing his roster spot in New England, Gillislee showed last season he's still solid in converting short-yardage situations. He should land on his feet elsewhere (finding his way back to Buffalo to spell LeSean McCoy might not be a bad deal for Gillislee).
