Gillislee missed Sunday's practice session for undisclosed reasons, Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's unclear if Gillislee is suffering from an injury or if he was given the day off for another reason. The team hasn't expressed concern about his availability to this point and the veteran back is expected to return to the field in the coming days.

Gillislee "did not appear to be as quick or fluid" as most of the Patriots' other running backs during positional work in the team's current voluntary OTAs, Paul Perillo of the Patriots' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

There's time for Gillislee to pick up the pace, but his outlook with the Patriots has changed quite a bit since last spring when he was signed to replace LeGarrette Blount as the team's "big back." His projected assignment appeared to carry TD-upside with it, but after a strong start, things fizzled out for Gillislee in 2017. He's fighting for a roster spot at this stage, with Brandon Bolden, Jeremy Hill and undrafted free agent Ralph Webb also battling for slotting behind roster locks Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and James White.

Following the Patriots' first-round selection of running back Sony Michel, Gillislee, Jeremy Hill and Brandon Bolden could end up fighting for one roster spot, WEEI.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

With Michel, Rex Burkhead and James White locks to make the team, it stands to reason that Gillislee, Hill and Bolden will jostle for depth slotting in the New England backfield. Bolden brings special-teams utility to the table and Hill was a free agent acquisition, so reading the tea leaves, it could take an injury or two for Gillislee to stick around in the wake of a 2017 season in which he was a healthy scratch for much of the second half of the campaign.

Free agent addition Jeremy Hill figures to challenge Gillislee for the Patriots' power-back role, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hill's arrival followed the departure of the team's top rusher last season, Dion Lewis. With versatile Rex Burkhead and pass-catching back James White seemingly locked into roles in the Patriots' attack, Gillislee and Hill figure to jostle for early-down and short-yardage work. It's possible that the player who lags behind in that job battle could be eventually be cut, but either way Gillislee has much to prove before regaining fantasy relevance on the heels of a 2017 campaign in which he was a healthy scratch for much of the second half of the season.

Gillislee may be a cap casualty this offseason, Jake Levin of NBC10 Boston reports.

EDGE Analysis

Signed to a two-year, $6.4 million contract last offseason, Gillislee opened 2017 as the Patriots' lead runner and scored four touchdowns the first two weeks, but he averaged only 3.7 yards per carry for the year and mostly served as a healthy scratch after October. The 27-year-old does have a couple things working in his favor, with his front-heavy contract carrying a modest 2018 cap charge of approximately $2.2 million, while teammates Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead are set to become unrestricted free agents. Even if both players head elsewhere and Gillislee is retained, the Patriots likely will find a draft pick or free agent to provide competition for carries. James White is locked in as the pass-catching specialist and is signed through 2020.

Gillislee finished the 2017 season with 104 carries for 383 yards and five TDs to go along with one catch for 15 yards in nine games.

EDGE Analysis

As he was at times down the stretch during the regular season, Gillislee was a healthy scratch for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Eagles. The 27-year-old scored four of his TDs in the Patriots' first two games and subsequently saw teammate Dion Lewis supplant him as the team's top back. Gillislee remains under contract with New England in 2018, but it's not out of the question that the Patriots consider parting ways with him, with the running back's contract for next season not calling for any guaranteed money.

Gillislee (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Eagles.

EDGE Analysis

Gillislee avoided the injury report this week, suggesting the knee injury that's plagued him in the second half of the season was behind him. After calling himself a game-time decision for this game Wednesday, the health of the Patriots backfield likely made head coach Bill Belichick's decision an easy one. With Gillislee on the sideline again, the Patriots will rely on Dion Lewis, James White and Rex Burkhead to man running back.

Gillislee (knee) does not carry an injury designation for Super Bowl LII.

EDGE Analysis

Gillislee is thus slated to be available for Sunday's game against the Eagles, though with Dion Lewis, James White and Rex Burkhead also in the Patriots' backfield mix, it's possible that Gillislee could be made inactive for the contest in the event that the team chooses not to suit up four running backs.

Though not listed on the Patriots' injury report after practicing fully Wednesday, Gillislee (knee) calls himself a game-time decision for Super Bowl LII, WEEI.com reports. "As far as health-wise, I am almost there," Gillislee noted Wednesday. "I am not where I want to be. I have battled a couple of injuries this year, but I was able to be healthy this week enough to practice. That has been great."

EDGE Analysis

Given his current level of practice participation, Gillislee is clearly trending in the right direction in terms of his potential availability for Sunday's game against the Eagles. That said, Gillislee is not a lock to suit up for the contest even he is physically capable of doing so, with Dion Lewis, James White and Rex Burkhead also in the Patriots' backfield mix.

Gillislee (knee) wasn't listed on the Patriots' injury report Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

During the bye between championship weekend and the Super Bowl, the Patriots provided game statuses as if they were playing this past Sunday. Gillislee was listed as questionable, which likely would have resulted in inactive status due to the Pats' game-day rosters during the second half of the season. With no designation in the week immediately preceding the Super Bowl, there seems to be a chance he'll be active for the second time since Week 8. On Wednesday, Gillislee told Tom Pelissero of NFL.com that "we'll have to see" regarding his chances to suit up Sunday against the Eagles, but it would surprise in a backfield with a clean bill of health at the moment.