Running back Mike Gillislee has been working on the side at recent Patriots practices and it seems the reason is his hamstring.
Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports that Gillislee is dealing with a hamstring injury and that he was hindered by a similar issue during OTAs this spring.
That lack of recent activity may have contributed to the team listing Gillislee with the third string on the depth chart they unveiled on Wednesday. James White and Dion Lewis are both listed with the first team while Rex Burkhead and Brandon Bolden are with the second team.
Bolden has a big role on special teams, but he only had three touches on offense last season so he wouldn’t seem to be a leading option for the kind of role Gillislee is expected to fill in New England. Until Gillislee is healthy, though, it will be hard to know just what the Patriots might have in mind for him this year.