The Patriots struck early on Monday afternoon, agreeing to terms with linebacker Robert Spillane less than an hour into the legal tampering period.
New England signed the 29-year-old to a three-year, $37.5 million deal. Spillane registered over 140 tackles in each of his last two seasons with the Raiders, and should bolster a lackluster linebacker group in Foxborough.
Here’s how a few experts graded the signing:
The Athletic
Grade: B
Looking for a linebacker to spark Mike Vrabel’s revamped defense, the Patriots add Spillane, who last season racked up 158 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and seven pass breakups for the Raiders. Signed by the Titans in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan, Spillane spent four seasons with the Steelers before becoming one of the Raiders’ leading tacklers the last two seasons. — Mike Jones
ESPN
Grade: B+
Linebacker was expected to be a deep position in this free agent class, but many of the best were off the board when the negotiation period (started). Zack Baun, Jamien Sherwood, Nick Bolton and Ernest Jones IV all re-signed with their old teams by the time the Patriots were able to agree to terms with a linebacker.
Spillane is a good player, though older than you think at 29. This deal is not cheap, but I think I would rather have Spillane at this price than Bolton, Sherwood or Jones at theirs. — Seth Walder
33rd Team
Grade: A
Mike Vrabel gets a guy that will instantly fit his culture for the New England Patriots by signing veteran linebacker Robert Spillane.
A former UDFA in 2018, Spillane has turned into a legitimate starting ILB over the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. He racked up 158 total tackles with a missed tackle rate of just 6.0 percent, making him a key part of New England’s depleted defensive roster to handle the middle of everything. — Tyler Brooke
PFF
Grade: Average
Spillane has established himself as a top-tier run defender at his position, though that success hasn’t necessarily translated to passing downs. The Patriots have been willing to deploy defenders based on the situation, so Spillane should be a locked-in early-down player with the possibility of coming off on passing downs. Alongside a healthy Ja’Whaun Bentley and Kyle Dugger in those latter situations, Spillane might be given the opportunity to play to his strengths and make a positive impact for the Patriots’ defense in 2025. — PFF Staff
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