Raiders lose Robert Spillane, Tre'von Moehrig to start free agency

Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre'von Moehrig during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. Photo by John Locher/AP

After retaining defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Raiders coach Pete Carroll said the team’s emphasis was on keeping, “every one,” of the team’s impending free agents on defense.

Those words, shared earlier this month at the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis, are beginning to backfire. Las Vegas lost arguably its two most notable free agents within hours of the NFL’s legal tampering period opening Monday morning ahead of the start of the 2025-2026 league year on Wednesday.

Linebacker Robert Spillane, the team’s leading tackler the last two seasons, is off to the New England Patriots on a three-year, $37 million deal per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Free safety Tre’von Moehrig, a highly productive former second round pick out of TCU, signed with the Carolina Panthers on a three-year, $51 million deal per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

The attention now largely shifts to slot cornerback Nate Hobbs, who’s been reported to have a large market, and edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, whom Carroll mentioned by name in wanting to keep.

The Raiders still have money to make a splash in free agency, but not as much as it looked like going into the offseason. They had more than $100 million in cap space — second to only the Patriots — before extending edge rusher Maxx Crosby on a record-breaking contract and trading for quarterback Geno Smith.   

Crosby and Smith will make at least a combined $60 million next season, and likely more after the Raiders agree on an extension with the latter.

Allocating that much money to two players might mean the Raiders are choosier in free agency than some fans hoped.

Several potential targets remain available despite a busy start to the day including top-rated defenders that fit Las Vegas’ needs like Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward and 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

Linebacker figures to be need a new target spot after losing out on Spillane, who had been the captain of the defense next to Crosby since coming to the Raiders from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Raiders might be more likely to address safety in-house after resigning the promising, homegrown former undrafted free agent Isaiah Pola-Mao earlier this month.

Linebacker Divine Deablo is also a free agent, but he and Spillane largely complemented each other. Spillane’s exit likely doesn’t have a major impact on whether general manager John Spytek, Carroll and their staffs want to bring him back.

Letting Spillane and Moehrig go was always a strong possibility, and maybe even the right choice with how much they increased their value to earn big contracts, but it came as a surprise to some fans.

Carroll and Graham aren’t going to be able to keep all of the Raiders’ notable defenders. It remains to be seen who will be retained along with Pola-Mao and rotational defensive tackle Adam Butler, who agreed to a three-year, $16 million deal on Monday per Schefter.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more updates.