Pats Pulpit
Patriots training camp is set to begin on Wednesday, July 23.
New England Patriots rookies and veterans will soon report back to Gillette Stadium as training camp is set to kick off. For the now Mike Vrabel-led Patriots, their first practice of the summer will begin on Wednesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Before the players and coaches take the field, our preview series will continue with New England’s linebacker position.
*Denotes player on the Pats Pulpit 53-man roster projection
Starters: Robert Spillane*, Jahlani Tavai* | Backups: Christian Elliss*, Jack Gibbens*, Marte Mapu*, Monty Rice, Cam Riley (U-R)
New England’s first major move in free agency saw the team hand linebacker Robert Spillane a three-year, $33 million contract. The 29-year-old began his career under Vrabel in Tennessee and went on to be an underrated player for the Raiders the past two seasons racking up 140-plus tackles each year. Spillane now is set to take over for Ja’Whaun Bentley in the middle of New England’s defense and likely wear the green dot.
Outside of Spillane, Jahlani Tavai survived the initial wave of releases this offseason even after a challenging 2024 season without Bentley besides him. Tavai opened the spring as an early-down starter next to Spillane before suffering a calf injury that sidelined him for minicamp.
New England also retained Christian Elliss and signed another former Titan in Jack Gibbens in free agency, while Marte Mapu repped primarily with the linebackers when healthy this spring. Monty Rice and Cam Riley round out the group and were around the football at times during OTAs and minicamp.
As Spillane is locked in as the leader of the linebacker group (and potentially the defense), his primary running mate remains up in the air. After holding the role early in camp, Tavai, who remains one of New England’s lone bigger bodies at the position, could slot right back in when healthy.
When Tavai was sidelined, Elliss saw the largest increase of snaps. Elliss was one of the lone bright spots on New England last season which led to the Patriots matching his offer sheet in free agency. He’d provide a more athletic option next to Spillane. Jack Gibbens could also push for a larger role with his experience in Vrabel’s defense.
The versatile Mapu has primarily spent his first two NFL seasons along the backend when healthy. During OTAs, Mapu instead transitioned fully back to the linebacker room where he mostly played at the collegiate level. His size and athleticism are intriguing to watch at the position, but the mental side of the game must catch up. And after spending parts of the spring limited, health remains a major question mark for the 25-year-old who played just 10 games last season.
