The offseason addition is emerging as a leader for New England’s defense.
The first day of New England Patriots training camp saw three animal shelters present to promote pet adoption; all 40 dogs present ended up finding homes. A canine spirit was not just felt off the field, though. On it, one player also embodied it.
That player is Robert Spillane. Besides being the Patriots’ starting linebacker and one of their defensive leaders, Spillane also is emerging as a tone-setter due to his infectious and consistent levels of energy — energy one of his teammates compared to a certain dog breed.
“He’s like a Golden Retriever,” fellow linebacker Christian Elliss said. “He’s just high-energy. He’s fun to be around. He’s just someone you love. He’s someone that you would honestly play your heart out for. He’s someone that’s going to bring the defense together.”
Spillane joined the Patriots earlier this offseason, when he put his signature under a three-year, $33 million free agency deal. The former rookie free agent, who spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career moving between Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas, quickly took over a starting role in New England’s new-look defense.
By late March, two weeks after his signing, he was unofficially promoted to the top of the linebacker depth chart. Team captain Ja’Whaun Bentley, who had held that role for the previous three seasons, was released to clear the way for Spillane’s ascension.
It did not take him long to start filling Bentley’s shoes and win over his teammates along the way.
“He’s a commander,” said cornerback Marcus Jones. “He definitely is going to be one of the captains on this team. When it comes down to talking to this defense and everything, and the standard that he has, it is great for our defense and also the communication barrier. He wants to make sure everybody is on the same page, and as a Mike linebacker or just a leader of this defense, this is what you need.”
“Spill’s awesome,” added Elliss. “Spill’s fun. He’s very opinionated. He’s very driven. He’s very eccentric. He’s just a good guy to be around and I can’t speak highly enough of him.”
The first four practices of Patriots training camp — even with full pads not yet being part of the action — already gave a clear indication of the role the team has in mind for the 29-year-old. Spillane played virtually every meaningful snap on defense, loudly barking out signals to his fellow teammates and flying all over the field.
He may have his limitations from an athletic perspective, but he is making up for those with a relentless motor, high physicality and football intelligence.
“He’s extremely smart,” said Elliss. “People do know that, but it’s something I want to emphasize: just his intelligence with the game, knowing schematics, knowing technique, knowing everything. Even when I’m out there covering someone man to man, he’s giving me tidbits and the things I can learn from him.”
“He’s very a competitive, prideful leader,” head coach Mike Vrabel said about Spillane, who began his NFL career as a rookie free agent under Vrabel in Tennessee. “He plays with a lot of energy. He plays with passion. Great communicator. Plays with a level of violence in the run game. I think he’s got a little level of versatility to him, too.”
Spillane himself, however, was quick to point out that he was not the only one carrying the Patriots’ defense into 2025.
“We have a lot of leaders on this defense,” he said. “A lot of experience, a lot of people that understand scheme. It might not be this scheme, but they understand NFL schemes. Christian Elliss and Jahlani Tavai next to me have played a lot of games in this league and are also experienced communicators. And then our guys up front are just dogs, and we just want them to go eat.”
If his early training camp usage is any indication, Spillane seems poised to do so as well. In fact, it would not be a surprise if he ended up playing close to 100 percent of the Patriots’ defensive snaps this season (like he did with the Raiders the last two years).
While that would only leave so many snaps for his fellow linebackers, it would ensure some stability the unit lacked in 2024. It also would create a consistent level of leadership at the second level of the defense. And that, more than anything, is what the free agency pickup is going to provide.
Added Ellis: “Spill’s an awesome, awesome leader for this defense.”