Could the Denver Broncos swipe a key player from an AFC West division rival this offseason?
It might be a possibility according to Pro Football Focus.
Earlier this week, PFF named potential landing spots for the NFL's top free agent linebackers this offseason. And they named Denver as a potential landing spot for Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane.
From PFF: While the Raiders should undoubtedly make retaining Spillane a priority this offseason after the massive leap he took since stepping foot in Vegas – 87.0-plus run-defense grades each of his last two seasons – if he were to make it to the open market, expect many teams to call.
One potentially being the Raiders’ bitter division rival in Denver. With both Cody Barton and Justin Strnad headed for free agency in addition to Alex Singleton having missed most of the year with a torn ACL, there is much uncertainty in the Broncos' linebacking corp. Investing in Spillane would be an instant upgrade to a Broncos defense that ranked 16th in team run-defense grade (67.6)
Spillane, a former undrafted free agent who started his career with the Tennessee Titans, spent four seasons (2019 to 2022) with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing a two-year deal with the Raiders ahead of the 2023 season.
The former Western Michigan standout is coming off the two best seasons of his pro career. Spillane became a full-time starter upon signing with the Raiders, starting all 34 games for the franchise over the last two seasons.
Spillane totaled 306 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks during those two seasons with the Raiders.
It's certainly possible that Las Vegas could bring Spillane back in 2025. The Raiders, however, could also look to get younger at the linebacker position instead of giving Spillane, who turned 29 this past season, the lengthy contract he's likely looking for in free agency.
