The Buffalo Bills changed the position for undrafted free agent Reggie Gilliam. Did his chances make the roster improve with the switch?
It has been years that there has been this much intrigue around the fullback position for the Buffalo Bills. However, it seems almost on a daily basis there is something to discuss for undrafted free agent Reggie Gilliam.
For most of the training camp, Gilliam has been practicing at fullback but coaches have talked more about his play on special teams. The play on that unit, combined with the savings of releasing Patrick DiMarco, seemed like he had a good chance to make the 53-man roster.
On Monday, head coach Sean McDermott seemed to pump the brakes on that idea by saying he has “a long way to go.” However, there was a noteworthy change during practice on Tuesday that Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic mentioned in a tweet.
#Bills TE/FB Reggie Gilliam has changed his number to 86. He was previously 41. The team now has him listed at TE.
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) September 1, 2020
Why would the Buffalo Bills change Reggie Gilliam’s position and number?
Considering the Buffalo Bills will need to cut the roster down to 53 players by Saturday at 4 PM, the timing is certainly interesting. Even if Gilliam was listed as a fullback, he could certainly line up anywhere on the field.
The move could signal that the Bills coaching staff view him more in the role of an H-back, which is similar to a tight end but lines up off the line of scrimmage.
It could also mean the team wants to keep Patrick DiMarco and Reggie Gilliam on the 53-man roster. The team has injuries at both fullback and tight end so a player like Reggie Gilliam, who offers versatility to play both, could make sense for this team.
DiMarco has been dealing with a neck injury that has forced him to miss every practice since at least August 17th, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR550. In addition, the Buffalo Bills have been without Tommy Sweeney, who is still on the PUP list due to a foot injury.
Since there have been changes to injured reserve, which includes teams allowed to bring back an unlimited amount of players and they only have to miss three weeks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sweeney and/or DiMarco start the year on the injured reserve list with Gilliam making the roster as a tight end.
The official switch for Reggie Gilliam is interesting and likely indicates that he is going to be apart of the Buffalo Bills’ plan for the 2020 season.