When free agency opened back in March, the New England Patriots’ first move was inking linebacker Robert Spillane to a three-year, $33 million deal. The investment made clear that Spillane would be a key cog in the middle of Mike Vrabel’s defense.
That was apparent during the team’s OTA on Wednesday. The 29-year-old was a regular around the ball and made several plays at the line of scrimmage as he gets more and more used to his new surroundings.
“Extremely comfortable,” he said after practice. “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,’ especially the guys in front of me. I love an aggressive, hungry d-line and it really feels like we have that coming out this year.”
During his last two seasons in Las Vegas, Spillane became one of the league’s best tacklers as he posted 148 and 158 tackles in 2023 and 2024, respectively. He’ll now get to play behind a defensive line led by Christian Barmore and Milton Williams that will pride itself on being aggressive.
Spillane and that defensive line’s play early in the offseason program has been a reason New England’s defense has had the advantage over the offense in the two practices open to the media. He believes the current trends could signal that the unit is in for a strong season.
“I strive to be the best teammate I can be every day,” Spillane said. “We got 11 guys doing that, playing for each other, running to the ball, effort and finish on every play. We’re going to have a good year.”
One of the players typically lined up behind him, safety Jabrill Peppers, agrees.
“If we keep going, what we need to do the way we need to do it, I definitely concur,” Peppers said Wednesday. “We just gotta keep grinding, take it day by day. Keep learning our fundamentals, keep learning the playbook, keep gelling with one another, keep establishing our identity so when the season comes you can play to it.”
Following a year where the Patriots defense ranked 30th in DVOA and 22nd in scoring defense (24.5 PPG), Peppers noted the hunger within the unit to get “that bad taste out of our mouth.” In order to help do so, New England added players such as Spillane and Williams — along with cornerback Carlton Davis and others — to bolster the unit.
For Spillane, the new wave of talent is the biggest reason for his belief in the defense early in the year.
“At the end of the day, the players are out there playing games, winning games,” he said Wednesday. “Coaches, to me, they want to get you in the best spot you can be in every time. But at the end of the day, it’s up to the players to understand where that best spot is for them.”
