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The New England Patriots landed an ex-Raiders star in free agency on Monday. Robert Spillane agreed to a $37 million contract after a 158-tackle season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
While Spillane was a savage for the Raiders, he takes his talents to Foxborough. Not to mention, he was one of the top defenders on Las Vegas. When Maxx Crosby went down, the focus shifted to Spillane.
Even when Crosby was healthy, Spillane kept track of the middle of the field and was a quality coverage linebacker. Now, he'll have the opportunity to play in Mike Vrabel's defensive scheme with the Patriots.
This will be one of the Patriots' first big signings in free agency. After they wanted to land left tackle Ronnie Stanley, he re-signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Raiders signed Maxx Crosby to a historic $106.5 million contract. As a result, there might've not been more money on the table for them to spend.
After all, they also traded for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who is expecting around $40-45 million annually. This means there might not be enough money to give the star linebacker.
Plus, a $37 million contract is quite lucrative, and one that many teams couldn't offer. With New England having the highest cap room in the NFL, they were able to make a splash like this.
Robert Spillane leaves the Raiders and joins the Patriots
The Raiders and the Patriots were both on the same trajectory. However, New England might have more of a traditional rebuild than Las Vegas.
They have quarterback Drake Maye and defensive pieces like Christian Gonzalez. Now, they need more veteran leadership and presence on both sides of the ball.
For Vrabel, it's clear he wants to establish an identity with his team. Similar to when he was a player, Vrabel wants the Patriots to be gritty on the defensive side.
What better way to do that, than to sign Spillane? As mentioned earlier, he had 158 tackles last season, the third-most in the league.
After Spillane drew some interest from teams before free agency, the Patriots made their pitch and moved to the former Raiders linebacker. Now, he's heading to Foxborough and can establish what it takes to be a legitimate defense.
The rebuild is under way, as New England is hoping to remain competitive entering the 2025 season. They could make some noise in the AFC East, with the uncertainties of the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets.
