After Mike Vrabel was announced as the new New England Patriots head coach in the spring, he wasted no time in revamping the roster. He immediately moved on from several veteran holdovers and brought in players he was familiar with from his previous head coaching stop in Tennessee. One of those additions was linebacker Robert Spillane, who began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent on Vrabel's Titans.
On paper, Spillane was the perfect Vrabel addition. Under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo, the Patriots prioritized bigger and stronger linebackers in the middle of the field. Vrabel, however, notably preferred lighter, quicker, and more athletic linebackers. Spillane, at 6'1" and 229 pounds, was the ideal fit as someone familiar with Vrabel's defensive philosophy.
That is why the Patriots gave him a surprisingly large contract in the offseason, signing him to a three-year, $33 million deal. This big number didn't get much attention because New England had the most cap space in the league, but a multi-year deal with an annual salary in eight figures for a linebacker before his age-30 season certainly increased the expectations.
Robert Spillane Has Completely Turned His Season Around
In the first two weeks of the season, Spillane crumbled under the weight of these expectations. Per Pro Football Focus, he was one of the worst performers on the Patriots, receiving a 43.9 and a 30.5 defensive grade, respectively. He missed a total of eight tackles, without being able to record a pass breakup or an interception. He allowed 11 catches in 12 targets in coverage, leaving many to wonder whether the offseason signing was a major bust. He certainly wasn't playing like he deserved ot be the NFL's 10th-highest paid linebacker.
Fast forward two weeks, and Spillane is finally showing why the Patriots broke the bank for him. He put together back-to-back solid performances as the middle linebacker, fixing the tackling issue. Against the Steelers and the Panthers, he had a total of 18 tackles, without missing a single one. He allowed a 52.1 passer rating in coverage against Pittsburgh, and 95.8 against Carolina.
This has coincided with the two best performances of the season by the defensive unit. For the season, the Patriots now have the ninth-best defense in the league in terms of points allowed, and a top-half unit in total yards allowed. The run defense has been especially strong, keeping opposing offenses to 3.3 yards per carry, the second-best mark in the NFL.
Spillane's speed, athleticism, and relentlessness have been obvious during that span, and he leads the team in tackles by a wide margin. The chip he plays with on his shoulder makes him the perfect representative of Vrabel on the field, and that is why he will continue to play a huge role in this defense. If he keeps doing that, he will be worth every penny of that seemingly surprising contract.