Ask anyone who has spent a significant amount of time around Robert Spillane, and it becomes clear why he was targeted by Mike Vrabel on Day 1 of the NFL’s legal tampering period.

“He is a dude,” said one staffer with the Raiders, where Spillane spent the last two seasons. “I would be surprised if he doesn’t become a captain in his first year (in New England). He really was such a major part of our locker room. He’ll be great there.”

A captain for the Raiders under now-Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Spillane began his career with the Titans as an undrafted rookie under Mike Vrabel in 2018.

The Patriots obviously had good intel on the kind of human being they were bringing in when it came to terms with Spillane this week. With a roster in need of an overhaul, bringing aboard those types of human beings — positive influences on the culture Vrabel is hoping to build — has been an early focus for the new Patriots regime.

“He’s huge in (supporting) the military,” the Raiders staffer said. “He’s big on volunteering. He’s a family man. He checks all the boxes. Hard-nosed. Tough as [expletive]… He’s an old-school Patriot. He’ll be great in the locker room. Gets along with all the guys. He’s a really good guy to add.”

Spillane’s addition is also indicative of a scheme change underway on the defensive side of the ball in Foxboro. Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams and Vrabel will be coaching what looks like it’ll be a lighter and more aggressive front in 2025.

Spillane measures 6-foot-1, 229 pounds, which is a departure from the 250-pound linebackers the Patriots have had under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo. Fellow free-agent signees Milton Williams and Harold Landry are also lighter than the prototypes the Patriots have valued previously.

But a smaller Patriots front won’t necessarily mean a less-efficient front on early downs. While Williams’ game has room to grow against the run, Spillane has had Pro Football Focus’ third-best run-defense grade for linebackers since 2023.

Landry, meanwhile, was the fifth-highest graded run defender at outside linebacker last season.

What Spillane’s addition means for players like Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai — both of whom are still under contract and have been staples as off-ball linebackers in recent years — remains to be seen. But he sounds like the kind of player who will quickly provide a boost to a program that is going to put a serious emphasis on having the right intangible qualities in its locker room as Vrabel navigates the nascent stages of building a new culture.

“He’s a big loss for us,” the Raiders staffer said of Spillane. “You guys will have a lot of fun with him in that market. I think he’s going to be instrumental in rebuilding that program.”