The Patriots are betting on Reggie Gilliam to fill a role that's become nearly extinct in modern football. In an era where 11 personnel has replaced 21 personnel as the default, Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf are doubling down on the fullback position. That's either visionary or stubborn. Probably both.
Gilliam isn't James Develin — nobody is — but the comparison speaks to what the team sees: a physical, versatile blocker who can legitimize a run game and create space for TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield. The Patriots have invested in multiple running backs this offseason, which suggests they're not building around spread formations and five-wide looks. They're building around a foundation that puts bodies in the box and dares defenses to stack it.
Here's what matters: Gilliam's presence on the roster signals Vrabel's philosophical commitment to balanced football. You don't carry two fullbacks — Gilliam and Brock Lampe — unless you actually plan to use the position. In a division where teams are still leaning on run-first identities and in a conference where playoff football still demands ground game execution, that's not crazy. It's just countercultural enough to work.
The real question is whether Drake Maye can develop chemistry with an offense designed around power schemes rather than space. But that's a quarterback evaluation problem, not a fullback problem. Gilliam's job is simple: move people. If he does that, the Patriots have themselves a legitimate chess piece in the running game, even if nobody's wearing a neck roll anymore.