With the Las Vegas Raiders struggling this season at 2-6 and sitting at the bottom of the AFC West, general manager Tom Telesco should focus on trading away players to gather more draft capital for the anticipated retool or rebuild in 2025.
One potential trade candidate is linebacker Robert Spillane, who is in the final year of his two-year, $7 million contract. The Buffalo Bills could be interested, as suggested by Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer.
“Iyer noted that the Bills should aggressively seek to fill their significant gap at linebacker with this key defensive player from Las Vegas,” he wrote.
After spending four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rotational role, Spillane was brought in by the Raiders to start. He has been highly durable, playing 97% of snaps in 2023 and 100% in 2024, and has emerged as a leader on the Raiders’ defense.
Currently, the Bills, who are 6-2 and leading the AFC East, need help at linebacker, especially with Matt Milano out indefinitely due to a torn biceps. Their existing linebacker options are underwhelming.
Spillane would enhance the Bills’ defense, particularly in run defense, where he excels. However, his coverage skills are lacking, reflected in his PFF grade of 47.0.
Acquiring Spillane shouldn’t be difficult for the Bills, as he’s not an elite player and is set to become a free agent in 2025. A Day 3 draft pick, likely a sixth or seventh rounder, should suffice for the trade.
The Bills have both a sixth and a seventh-round pick in 2025, so if Spillane is available, they should have no issues making a move.
