Change of Scenery: Robert Spillane

Robert Spillane is entering year eight in the NFL and he’s just now hitting his prime! A change of scenery is nothing new for him as New England will be his fourth team. While this may be a new team, he will see some familiar faces, such as HC Mike Vrabel and OLB Harold Landry, who will both join Spillane in the Patriots rebuild. What’s the potential impact for Spillane, the Patriots, and fantasy managers? Magic 8-Ball (shake, shake, shake).....all signs point to another big year for Spillane.

Reflecting on the Past

Spillane began his career as an undrafted free agent, and first-time head coach Mike Vrabel gave him the first shot to become an NFL star. It wasn’t the start that either hoped for as he played just 20 special-teams snaps in two games. After his disappointing rookie season, he would spend the next four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and HC Mike Tomlin. In the Steel City, his progression to becoming a star would begin. Over that span, Spillane would play in 50 games, making 16 starts, 191 total tackles, 128 solo stops, 10 TFLs, five QB hits, three sacks, one interception, eight PBUs, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown. Despite showing improvement each year, the Steelers would let him test free agency.

You know the saying…One man’s trash is another man's treasure, and the Las Vegas Raiders hit the jackpot signing Spillane. Spillane would be one of the league’s best linebackers in his two seasons with the team. He would play and start 34 consecutive games for the Raiders with back-to-back 140+ tackle seasons. During his two years with the Raiders, he would record 306 total tackles, 173 solo stops, 56.5% solo rate, 17 TFLs, seven QB hits, 5½ sacks, five interceptions, and 11 PBUs. Spillane was as reliable (2196 defensive snaps/97.5%) as he was productive for a team that desperately needed both. With his contract up and a new coaching staff in place, he was allowed to pursue other opportunities and paydays.

Looking Ahead to the Future

That new payday and opportunity would take him to the northeast and a reunion with his first head coach (Vrabel). It’s no secret that the Patriots were bad last season and will struggle again this year. However, Vrabel will get the linebacker he needs to be the leader of his defense and Spillane gets the chance to continue to be a shining star. Spillane’s role has increased each season that he’s been in the league, and now Vrabel gets to reap the benefits of a budding star he once saw a vision in.  The Patriots have Ja’Whaun Bentley who is coming off an injury, so Spillane is not only an upgrade, but protection at the position. Their top tackler from last season was Jalani Tavai (115 tackles,) and Spillane is better than both.

With Spillane, Tavai, and a healthy Bentley, the Patriots instantly have one of the best linebacking trios in the league. Again, they will struggle,e and Spillane will eat the King’s share of the cake. While Spillane is a downhill attacker, he is also decent in coverage, which will keep him on the field for all three downs. He has an average of nine tackles per game the past two seasons and I expect that to be the achieved target again this season. New England has to improve up front, and until they do, Spillane will be the beneficiary. Spillane also supports a missed tackle rate around 6.5% so when he gets those numerous shots to make plays, he doesn’t often miss.

Fantasy Outlook

A change of scenery can often be a bag of mixed results, but in this instance, the arrow for Spillane continues to point upward. That is music to fantasy managers' ears!!! The Patriots are getting a top talent at linebacker who can call and lead their defense. Spillane is smart and has the talent that those who wear the green dot must have. He will be counted on to help a team that was bad a year ago get back on track. Spillane can fire down hill versus the run and the coverage skills to be an impact player in the passing game, which is something that New England has been missing. The Patriots have Ja’Whaun Bentley, but he’s coming back from an injury (torn pectoral), and they signed both Christian Ellis and Jack Gibbens in free agency. None of which has the overall talent of Spillane.

I don’t expect anything to change for Spillane in terms of fantasy football. The volume will be there, and Spillane is a three-down player, so I expect him to continue to be one of the leading tacklers in the league once again. He gets a lot of solo tackles, which are worth double the points in most fantasy leagues. While I wouldn’t count on the extra big plays with him, Spillane has shown a solid trend up in those areas the past couple of seasons and that should continue as well. There is a lot to like about Spillane and his new home in New England, so it doesn’t matter what type of fantasy league you play in; you’ll want him on your roster. I haven’t dug into my upcoming seasonal rankings, but I expect Spillane to be in the LB1 tier and most likely in the top 10 at the position.

Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.