The New England Patriots are entering the 2025 NFL season in hopes of significantly improving their performance in all three phases of football.
Though offense may snag the headlines, as special teams prowess remains a labor of love, but the Pats know as well as any of the league’s 32 teams that defense wins championships.
Therefore, it should come as little surprise that the team prioritized upgrading their talent on defense this offseason. From securing the services of defensive tackle Milton Williams to adding cornerback Carlton Davis, III to their secondary, New England is intent on bolstering a unit which posted the worst defensive expected points added per drive for the franchise since 1999.
Under the tutelage of new head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, the Pats are adapting a more aggressive style of defense. In order to properly institute such a systemic change, New England added and promoted faster, more compact linebackers to aid in both the pass rush and run defense — headlined by former Las Vegas Raiders’ defender Robert Spillane.
In fact, The Athletic recently praised Spillane as a potential “gem” of the Patriots’ free agency class of 2025.
“Linebacker Robert Spillane may not be as splashy as the other Patriots signings, but he’ll be a quiet lynchpin on the second level,” wrote NFL Analyst Ted Nguyen. “Competent linebacker play is increasingly harder to find, and teams have paid a premium this offseason to re-sign their linebackers, but the Patriots outbid the Las Vegas Raiders for Spillane’s services. He’s excellent at diagnosing the run and is an underrated zone defender.”
A veteran of seven NFL seasons, Spillane signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Patriots this offseason. The Western Michigan product joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans In 2018. After his lone season in Music City — in which Vrabel served as his head coach — Spillane went on to spend four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning a core role on special teams while becoming a regular on defensive sub-package duties. Since 2023, he has been a member of the Raiders. The 6’1” 229-pound linebacker has compiled 497 tackles, 8.5 sacks, six interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries throughout his NFL tenure.
While few, if any, expect Spillane’s roster spot to be anything but assured, his skill set, along with his leadership abilities could end up paying greater dividends than originally expected.
Patriots’ veterans are set to report for training camp on July 22. The team will conduct their first practices on July 23 on the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium.
