Raiders case study: The 2007 New York Giants
By Levi Dombro
Middle linebacker
I have mentioned that Antonio Pierce was the focal point of the linebacker room in 2007 for the Giants. Unsurprisingly, Pierce found a linebacker that is cut from the same cloth as him to be at the center of the Raiders defense: Robert Spillane.
Pierce was actually coming off of a Pro Bowl season in 2006, the best of his career individually. Spillane is in a similar spot in 2024, as he looks to build momentum off of the best campaign of his career in 2023. Both Spillane and Pierce led their teams in tackles, but Spillane collected three interceptions and four passes deflected in addition to 7.0 tackles for loss. Despite Pierce having nearly 50 fewer tackles and two fewer interceptions, he had four more deflected passes and one more tackle for loss.
These players are strikingly alike not just statistically but in terms of their demeanor and attitude. Any linebacker that AP loves is likely to do some damage to other teams, so bring on another year of Spillane.