The Las Vegas Raiders made a terrific hire last year when they signed MLB Robert Spillane from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers wanted to retain Spillane, but they couldn't match the Silver and Black offer due to financial ramifications.
Spillane talked about why he chose the Raiders, "It was more about how excited the Raiders were when they called me during free agency. I truly felt that love from the organization from the first second I got on the phone with Dave Ziegler and Coach [McDaniels], and even a guy like Maxx Crosby reaching out and giving me a call means a lot. So, feeling like I was walking into a family made it feel like it was okay to leave Pittsburgh for me."
While a Pittsburgh Steeler in his last season, Spillane played in every special team and defensive play for the last nine games in 2022. He told me about that commitment to be able, and available, "One of the first things I learned when I came into the NFL under Mike Vrabel was, 'Availability is your best ability.' And that holds true to this day, and it will hold true as long as there's the NFL. I had a coach tell me in college, 'You're going to have to learn how to play hurt.' Guys get hurt all the time and even you might be injured, and you got to learn how to play injured as well. So, it's all about mental fortitude and being willing to go out there for your teammates to get the job done."
Many thought Spillane earned a Pro Bowl bid in 2023, but it evaded him.
Spillane has earned so much respect for his efforts in the 2023 season. Pro Football Focus has named Spillane one of the Most Improved players for the 2023 season.
Per Pro Football Focus, "Spillane is one of a few players on this list who changed teams between the 2022 and the 2023 seasons. This led to increased playing time for him, as he logged 1,100 snaps during his first season with the Raiders after never playing more than 600 snaps in a season with the Steelers. He also earned career-high grades in run blocking and pass rushing in 2023."
From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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