After starting his career as an undrafted rookie free agent for Mike Vrabel, Robert Spillane has gone on to become a top linebacker in the NFL and a team captain. Now he reunites with Vrabel seven years later as an established veteran to help lead his new and improved Patriots team.

Spillane will fit in well with New England as a true blue-collar worker. He started his career on practice squads in Tennessee and Pittsburgh before earning a legitimate role as a prominent starter over the last two years on the Las Vegas Raiders, where he was named a team captain by former head coach and now New England’s offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

In the last two years, Spillane established himself as a top linebacker in the league. He’s accumulated 306 tackles, which is the second-most in the NFL in that time span, and seven quarterback hits with 5.5 sacks in that span.

Most of Spillane’s work comes from inside the gaps and trenches, while taking on offensive linemen on his way to the running back in the backfield. In fact, he’ll make the tackle by driving through the lineman in the backfield with hyper-focused determination to not be stopped.

In 2024, Spillane finished with 158 tackles (third in the NFL) and an 87.3 run defense grade, which ranked as the eighth-best linebacker in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.

What makes Spillane invaluable is the way he can process information at a fast speed. His first step is to read, react, and execute, which usually results in him making the play. He’s a hawk that hunts the QB and running back, not allowing them out of his line of sight or past the second level of the defense.

PFF also ranked Spillane with the third-most tackle assists (47), 13th in stops (51), and 21st in total pressures (13). He also played the fourth-most total snaps (1,093) and the sixth-most coverage snaps (585) in the NFL last season.

Although Spillane isn’t known for his pass-coverage prowess, I believe he has the skills as a fine backer against the pass in the middle of the defense or out in the flat.

While going through the film and learning more about what Spillane brings to the Patriots, it’s pretty clear he’s going to run the defense, wear the Green Dot, and I think he’ll even be a team captain in his first season here in New England.

Spillane is a downhill run linebacker who excels at getting through the offensive line to stop the run in the backfield. He’s a smart blitzer who knows when to hit the gas, and he can make plays all over the field with his expert-level tackling.

During Spillane’s introductory press conference, Vrabel was asked what he saw in Spillane in 2018 that made him sign him as an undrafted rookie free agent in Tennessee.

“We went out to practice, and he didn’t make any mental errors, he was athletic, he was excellent in his open field tackling drill. He did the same things the next day, the same thing on Sunday. It got to be a joke where we would just keep throwing him in and be like ‘hey, let’s see if somebody can make Spillman miss.’ And then Jon Robinson and I were just like ‘we need to have him on the football team’ and I think he’s earned the right to be here based on those three days.”

Spillane will make an immediate impact on a defense that ranked eleventh-worst in the NFL last season by allowing 343.3 yards per game and 24.5 points per game. He’s ready to lead this group in any way that he can, with the mindset of making his teammates better, as he said to the media on Wednesday after the OTAs:

“Extremely comfortable. I feel really good with the guys around me. I know as a middle linebacker that I need to trust in my positioning within the scheme of the defense, which is usually in the center of the defense, so I tell the guys around me ‘go make plays, I’ll make you right.’ I love an aggressive and hungry d-line, and it really feels like we have that coming out this year.”

Spillane is also an essential part of the culture that Vrabel is building in New England. He’s a leader on the field who wants to empower his teammates to be the best version of themselves. He knows that he’s versatile enough to do whatever is needed for the team; he just wants to see his teammates succeed.

“I truly know that I want only what’s best for each and every teammate that I have out there. So I’m going to be willing to share all the secrets I have, everything that’s helped me get to where I am, and hopefully that helps them raise their game.”

One last note. Spillane is one of the selected few players on the roster that has played for Vrabel and McDaniels.