Robert Spillane Signs with Patriots

Spillane was a big-time voice in the locker room and considered the "Maxx Crosby" of the second level. He talked his leadership ability with Las Vegas Raiders On SI not long ago.

"For me to be able to have the voice I have with my teammates, I need to establish a relationship and have that one-on-one communication throughout the offseason throughout the OTAs," said Spillane. "To get to know people and get to understand what makes them tick. If you do not know what your teammates are going through, you are never going to be able to get through to them. I like to know people on a personal level. Their family members, to know what people are going through."

"And gives me the right to say, here this is what I think you need to be doing going forward. My teammates know that I do not want absolutely nothing from them besides hard work and I want everything for them and their families and their future kids or their kids. I tell them that. I do not need anything from you, I am your teammate, and I just want your hard work, passion, and love for the game. And then we can work on anything else from there."

With his play in 2023 and 2024, Spillane was going to command top-of-the-market value for off-ball linebackers. Head coach Pete Carroll said that the NFL Combine that retaining defensive free agents was a top priority of his.

This is a big loss for the Raiders. How it will affect their retention of other key defensive players like safety Tre'von Moehrig, defensive end Malcolm Koonce, and cornerback Nate Hobbs will be something to keep an eye on.