Buffalo Rumblings
Sledge is a special teams mainstay
The fullback was a position going the way of the dodo around 10 years ago, but the Buffalo Bills, among other clubs, have begun to bring the position back. As teams switched to finesse-style offenses that centered on lighter, quicker players in the passing game, defenses countered with lighter, quicker players. Now, many offenses are countering that counter by running with heavier personnel groupings that can shift into multiple formations.
Having a fullback who can also moonlight as a tight end certainly helps, and when your team has multiple tight ends able to line up out wide, it makes for some interesting possibilities. Buffalo might not be at the forefront of the fullback renaissance in the NFL, but they are definitely part of it.
In the latest edition of our “90 players in 90 days” series, we discuss the lone fullback on the Bills’ roster.
Name: Reggie Gilliam
Number: 41
Position: FB
Height/Weight: 6’, 244 pounds
Age: 27 (28 on 8/20/2025)
Experience/Draft: 6; signed with Buffalo following the 2020 NFL Draft
College: Toledo
Acquired: UDFA signing
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Gilliam signed a one-year contract worth $2 million overall. That number is fully guaranteed, so if Buffalo releases him, they’ll carry that $2 million as a dead-cap charge. If he makes the 53-man roster, his cap hit is just $1,337,500 for the season.
2024 Recap: Gilliam once again did the dirty work, playing on an absurd 83% of the team’s special teams snaps. He’s involved in nearly every facet of that part of the game. On offense, he played 15% of the team’s snaps, more than he’d played in two years. He was not targeted in the passing game, but he did tie a career-high in carries with three. Gilliam gained seven yards, including his first career rush for a first down. He had a career-high four special teams tackles, as well. He made one tackle in the playoffs and didn’t touch the ball on offense.
Positional outlook: Gilliam is the only fullback on the roster. His fellow backfield mates — James Cook, Ray Davis Jr., Ty Johnson, Darrynton Evans, and Frank Gore Jr. — are all running backs.
2025 Offseason: Gilliam is healthy and participating in offseason activities.
2025 Season outlook: Given Gilliam’s usage on special teams, his fit with the team culture, and the fact that the Bills would carry a larger cap hit if he weren’t on the roster than if he ends up on it, I’d say Gilliam is a lock the 53-man roster come September.
He’s a hard-nosed player who helps in the run game with his blocking, and his role on special teams, while not glamorous, is one that he performs willingly and effectively. Nothing Gilliam does will show up much in his personal stat pages, but he helps the team in myriad ways.
And hey, why would you cut a guy whose nickname is “Sledge,” anyway?
