'The backfield did take a hit when the Bills, through some front-office bumbling, allowed standout reserve Mike Gillislee to join the New England Patriots as a restricted free agent. The loss likely would have been avoided had the Bills given him a second-round tender, costing just under $1 million in cap space, rather than the original fifth-round tender that motivated the Patriots to structure a $6.4-million offer sheet that was tough to match.'