The New England Patriots invested over $200 million in improving their defense in free agency last offseason. In total, they handed out $209 million in guaranteed money to free agents, the most by any team in the NFL last offseason.
While this was a step in the right direction for roster building, there are two players the Patriots will need to reconsider moving forward with: veteran linebackers Robert Spillane and Harold Landry.
In March, the Patriots signed both veteran linebackers to a pair of three-year deals that include over $20 million in guaranteed money for each player, with Landry making $43.5 million and Spillane making $33 million. Spillane is the league's 13th-highest-paid linebacker, while Landry checks in as the 25th-highest-paid edge rusher, per Spotrac. However, their production in their first years with New England doesn’t reflect the contracts that they signed last year.
The expectations for Spillane and Landry were high entering the 2025 season. They were both big-ticket additions to the Patriots’ new and improved defense. The duo also had previous experiences playing for head coach Mike Vrabel during his time with the Tennessee Titans. Both were expected starters and were voted team captains. Unfortunately, the reality of having them on the roster changed as the regular season progressed and the playoffs began.
Patriots Top LB Free Agent Acquisitions Had Career Lows in 2025
Both Spillane and Landry produced career lows in many areas this season. Spillane finished with 97 tackles, his lowest mark since 2022 before he became a full-time starter. He also led the team with nine missed tackles. Landry had 49 tackles (27 solo), his lowest total since his rookie season. Landry did stand out in one area, though; he was able to get to the quarterback, leading the team with 8.5 sacks and 23 pressures.
Despite a lack of production in some areas, both Spillane and Landry have managed lingering injuries throughout the season, which led to their availability being too inconsistent for the regular season. While Landry played in 15 games during the regular season, he missed the final two weeks, though, as his knee injury from Week 6 carried into the playoffs. After logging 75 percent of defensive snaps in the regular season, that number fell to 24.6 percent in the playoffs, making it nearly impossible to have the same impact.
Spillane battled through an ankle injury for most of the season, but he spent the final five weeks on the sidelines, unable to play. Although he returned for the playoffs, Spillane re-injured his ankle in the AFC Championship Game. He lasted until the second defensive drive, logging 13 total plays for only 22.4 percent of the total defensive snaps. With two weeks in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, Spillane recovered enough to play 100 percent of the defensive snaps against the Seattle Seahawks.
Fortunately for the Patriots, they received great contributions from their positional depth and relied on them heavily down the stretch of the regular season. That brought Jack Gibbens onto the field more often than not, with Jahlani Tavai, Anfernee Jennings, and Elijah Ponder in the rotation. Although it seemed to work out well for New England, it wasn’t ideal or the way that Vrabel wants to run his program. Having consistency within the roster and starting lineup is important when building team chemistry and the brotherhood that goes with it.
Moving forward, the Patriots need to solidify the core of their linebacker unit while continuing to upgrade the position, which includes making some difficult decisions along the way. Gibbens is a restricted free agent, while K’Lavon Chaisson is an unrestricted free agent who produced a career season in his first year in New England. It would be smart for the Patriots to re-sign both of them, as they proved to play well in this system.
Next season, Spillane will be 31 years old, while Landry will be 30. These should be their prime years, but it didn’t always look like it in their first season in New England. It leads one to wonder whether the Patriots should be looking to upgrade the position again this offseason.
There’s a great mix of young players and seasoned veterans who are free agents this offseason, including Demario Davis, Von Miller, Lavonte David, and Jadevon Clowney, all of whom have at least 13 years of experience. On the younger side, Ivan Pace Jr., Quay Walker, Kenneth Murray Jr., and Devin Bush are also free agents.