The New England Patriots have been busy reshaping their roster this offseason, signing wide receiver Stefon Diggs to give quarterback Drake Maye a legitimate downfield weapon next year. On defense, one of the Patriots' big acquisitions was former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane, whom the team signed to a three-year, $37 million deal.

Recently, Spillane broke down some of the unique training strategies he uses to help him stay on top of his game, which include doing drills with his eyes closed.

“I didn’t really learn it from anybody, so it’s from the ground up, self-taught,” Spillane said, per Chad Graff of The Athletic. “It’s basically just a confidence drill. As a middle linebacker, you want to know where you are on the field at all times — within the positioning of the field, understanding the schematics, where the other players are around you. So you close your eyes and take away the most basic thing you use to understand that. You’ve really got to rely on your instincts and your trust.”

Spillane went undrafted in 2018 and signed with the Tennessee Titans before ultimately blossoming with the Pittsburgh Steelers the next few years.

He had a solid tenure with the Raiders before signing with New England this March.

Can New England turn a corner?

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) addresses the media after practice during day one of training camp at Gillette Stadium.
Eric Canha-Imagn Images

It's been an offseason of change for the Patriots, who let go of head coach Jerod Mayo and hired former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel to the same position.

One of the big storylines heading into next season will be the continued development of quarterback Drake Maye, who took over the starting position about midway through last season and showed flashes, albeit inconsistent, of the talent that made him the number three overall pick by the Patriots in April of 2024.

If Maye can continue refining his decision-making skills and Diggs proves to have more left in the tank than some of his skeptics believe, the Patriots could be a tough opponent for anyone in the upcoming 2025-26 season.

New England will kick off its season against Spillane's former team, the Raiders, on September 7 at home.