A quiet roster move was made by the Buffalo Bills, caught by the keen eye of Joe Buscaglia and verified on the Bills’ official roster. Reggie Gilliam has traded in his number 86 jersey for number 41. Oh yeah, he’s now listed as a fullback too, which seems kind of important.
Astute Rumblers might recall that Gilliam was an undrafted free agent last season out of Toledo who had played both tight end and fullback. At that time he wore 41 and was listed as...a fullback. So yes, this move reverts Gilliam back to where he started in Buffalo.
Last year special teams coordinator Heath Farwell indicated Gilliam was in a “great battle” with Patrick DiMarco for the fullback spot. Just prior to the 2020 season starting, Gilliam swapped to tight end. At the time we pondered what this might mean for the team, with Patrick DiMarco the incumbent at the position.
With Gilliam creating waves in a positive way during the offseason it was felt this might spell the end of the fullback position in Buffalo which turned out to be accurate for one season. Now the position returns and we’re left pondering again.
This shouldn’t signal a large change for Gilliam, who had two targets (two catches, one touchdown) on 81 offensive snaps. It could however mean a shift in run blocking concepts as the move may be indicative of the team’s desire to allow Gilliam to focus on more of a backfield role.
Or perhaps it was spurred by a high level of confidence with the tight end group. That could suggest Gilliam’s spot might be won or lost against the running back room rather than the likes of Dawson Knox, Tommy Sweeney, and Jacob Hollister.