One of the most surprising developments from the 2023 season was the play of the linebackers for the Raiders. That position gave the Raiders a ton of problems over the previous seasons, but it wasn’t an issue this year.
A big reason why was due to the play of Robert Spillane, a free-agent signing from the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his time in Pittsburgh, Spillane was a part-time player who struggled in coverage. But in Las Vegas, he was one of the best players on their defense.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they named every team’s most improved player. For the Raiders, that was none other than Spillane. Here is what they had to say about the veteran linebacker from this season:
Spillane is one of a few players on this list who changed teams between the 2022 and the 2023 seasons. This led to increased playing time for him, as he logged 1,100 snaps during his first season with the Raiders after never playing more than 600 snaps in a season with the Steelers. He also earned career-high grades in run blocking and pass rushing in 2023.
The Raiders also got really solid play from Divine Deablo, a former third-round pick who has converted from safety to linebacker. Together, Spillane and Deablo fortified the middle of the defense for the Raiders.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Raiders added another young linebacker to this unit in 2024, but they have to be thrilled with the production they got from Spillane and Deablo last year.
