Patriots LB Among NFL's Biggest Minicamp Winners

The New England Patriots made several notable additions this offseason on both sides of the ball. Names like Milton Williams and Carlton Davis owned headlines in March, and their first three draft picks were all offensive players that had fans excited for what Josh McDaniels' offense could look like in 2025.

Flying under the radar through all of this, though, was linebacker Robert Spillane. The Patriots signed the former Raider to a three-year deal at the beginning of free agency to give themselves a tackling machine in the middle of the defense. And with the OTAs and mini-camp portion of the offseason having come and gone, Spillane was named one of the NFL's biggest winners of the spring by Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report.

"New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane has traveled quite the journey in the NFL over seven seasons—from bit player with the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers to a full-time starter the past two years with the Las Vegas Raiders to signing a three-year, $33 million contract with the New England Patriots in the offseason," Davenport writes. "Spillane is just one of a number of new faces on the Pats defense this year, and he told reporters that the opportunity to play for Mike Vrabel in Beantown and be a defensive leader has brought his career full-circle."

Spillane began his career under Mike Vrabel in 2018 when he joined the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan. The next year, though, he was in Pittsburgh, appearing in eight games and registering 11 tackles. Over the next three seasons in Pittsburgh, Spillane went from special teamer to reliable rotational linebacker who saw his snaps increase. He signed a two-year deal with the Raiders ahead of the 2023 season and registered north of 140 tackles in each of the last two seasons.