Raiders roster 2025: Elandon Roberts has big shoes to fill

Free agent addition likely slated to take reins at middle linebacker after Robert Spillane’s departure leaves void

Can Elandon Roberts fill the void left by the departure left by Robert Spillane?

That’s the fallout for the Las Vegas Raiders as Spillane, a heart beat-type middle linebacker, agreed to terms with the New England Patriots on opening day of the legal tampering period Monday, to kick off NFL free agency. Slated to ink a three-year, $37.5 million deal, Spillane reunites with Mike Vrabel who is now the Patriots head coach but gave Spillane his initial shot in the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2018 when Vrabel was the Tennessee Titans’ boss.

The Raiders responded by agreeing to terms with Roberts on one-year deal. The contract is at extreme value when compared to what Spillane got in New England as Roberts’ deal is for $3.01 million with $2.5 million guaranteed.

His lone career interception will likely look familiar to Raider Nation:

Like Spillane, Roberts heads to Las Vegas from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Silver & Black are banking on another jackpot linebacker signing.

The 30-year-old Roberts brings a bevy of experience to the table with 140 career games and 105 career starts after entering the league as a sixth-round pick (214th overall) by the Patriots in the 2016 draft. He’s played for a trio of teams from the Patriots (2016-19), to the Miami Dolphins (2020-22) and Steelers.

Elandon Roberts
By The Numbers

• 2024: 17 games (14 starts) 46 total tackles (24 solo), 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 4 quarterback hits, 1 forced fumble; Advanced stats (per Pro Football Reference (PFR)) 478 snaps (44 percent of Steelers total defensive snaps), 13 completions (on 17 targets) for 181 yards (76.5 percent completion rate), 0 touchdowns allowed, 41 blitzes, 7 pressures, 3 missed tackles

Las Vegas current depth a the linebacker position leaves a big question mark at the middle linebacker position. Robert joins a room that currently has Tommy Eichenberg, Amari Burney, Amari Gainer, Kana’i Mauga, Brandon Smith, and Jackson Mitchell.

The initial four were on the Raiders roster in 2024 while Smith and Mitchell are both reserve/future signings. And of that group, Roberts, Eichenberg, Mauga, Smith, and Mitchell profile as inside linebackers while Burney and Gainer fit the outside linebacker distinction.

Divine Deablo’s departure to the Atlanta Falcons on a two-year, $14 million deal thinned the unit further.

Thus, as the roster currently stands (free agency is ongoing and there’s the 2025 NFL Draft in late April), Roberts is likeliest to get a shot to fill the big shoes left by Spillane. In order to do so, Roberts needs to recapture his 2021, 2022, and 2023 form with the Raiders.

Compare & Contrast

Spillane rarely came off the field during his two-year tenure in Las Vegas. The 29-year-old racked up 1,101 snaps (97 percent of the defense’s total) in 2023 and 1,095 (98 percent) this past season. He was a 34 game starter both seasons and accumulated 306 total tackles (173 solo) with 5.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, and 11 pass deflections.

Spillane wasn’t sticky in coverage but was a nuisance to opposing quarterbacks as PRF charted him with 89 completions allowed (on 122 targets) for a 73 percent completion rate in his two years in Silver & Black. Spillane allowed 914 yards and six touchdowns over that course of time and opposing quarterbacks sported a 93.4 rating throwing his way.

Roberts, meanwhile, played in 33 games with 29 starts the past two years with the Steelers. He compiled 147 total tackles (92 solo) with 3.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and two passed deflections in that span.

Like Spillane, Roberts is more run stuffer and tackle machine and PFR’s coverage charting shows that. Targeted 65 times, Roberts allowed 52 completions (80 percent rate) for 524 yards and one touchdown. Quarterbacks throwing at Roberts sported a 105.4 rating.

Both are of similar size at 6-foot-1 with Roberts heavier at 238 pounds compared to Spillane at 229 pounds.

• Spillane’s best season: 2023, 148 total tackles (82 solo), 7 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions
• Roberts’ best season: 2022, 107 total tackles (68 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks