Bills Place Original-Round Tenders On RFA RB Mike Gillislee & G Ryan Groy

Update:

The Buffalo Bills announced that they’ve placed original-round tenders on restricted free agent RB Mike Gillislee and G Ryan Groy.

The did not tender contracts to either LB IK Enemkpali or P Colton Schmidt, which means they’ll be free agents in the coming days.

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Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Bills have used an original-round tender on restricted free agent RB Mike Gillislee.

According to Rapoport, the Bills are still hoping to sign him to an extension in the coming days.

The original-round tender will cost the Bills around $1.797 million for the 2017 season and give them the right of first refusal for any offer sheet he receives from another team during free agency. Should they lose Gillislee to another team, the Bills would collect a fifth-round pick.

This is actually a big of a surprising, considering many assumed the Bills would use at least a second-round tender on Gillislee to prevent them from losing him to another team.

However, it appears as though the Bills are willing to take this chance.

Gillislee, 26, was a fifth-round pick of the Dolphins in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent just over two years in Miami before he was among their roster cuts at the start of the regular season.

After a brief stint with the Cardinals, the Bills signed him to their practice squad during the 2015 season and brought him back on a one-year deal.

In 2016, Gillislee appeared in 15 games and rushed for 577 yards on 101 carries (5.7 YPC) to go along with nine receptions for 50 yards receiving and nine total touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 14 running back out of 62 qualifying players.