The New England Patriots have started to get their feet wet in their summer training as OTAs have officially gotten underway. These early days coincide with the initial reps of the Mike Vrabel experience during his first year coaching this roster.

While it’s been a relatively short time since Vrabel has been in the building, he’s made nothing but a positive impact on his players.

One of the Patriots’ veterans who dished praise out to Vrabel at the start of OTAs was offseason addition Robert Spillane, noting one major aspect of his coaching style that’s stood out: his transparency.

“He’s very transparent. Intense. Straight to the point,” Spillane said. “You know what to expect, which is something I love as a player. All you want is clarity. All you want is clear messaging, and that messaging stays true. It’s who he is. So, he doesn’t have to fake it, he gets to be his true self every day.”

Spillane, who came aboard in New England on a three-year deal this offseason, looks to play a major part in Vrabel’s defense as a likely starter in their linebacker unit. He already has some time with the Patriots’ head coach during his time as a rookie with the Tennessee Titans in 2018, and so far into their second stint together, things are already off to a hot start.

Spillane was a huge force in the Las Vegas Raiders’ front seven for the past two seasons, logging over 100 total tackles in each. During the 2024 campaign, he put together 158 tackles, 10 TFLs, six PBUs, along with two interceptions as a starter through all 17 games.

Now, he’ll have an opportunity to bring that similar impact in a vastly different Patriots linebacker core from a season ago, all while being alongside the head coach with whom he started his NFL journey.