Patriots promising newcomer already calling the defense

New England Patriots newcomer Robert Spillane is already making an impact on the defense as the player relaying the calls from inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr to the rest of his teammates.

Kuhr has taken up some of the defensive coordinator duties with Terrell Williams sidelined with an illness. It's a major shift in responsibilities that he admits has been helped by the veteran presence of players like Spillane and Jahlani Tavai, who have acted as secondary coaches on the field.

Spillane hasn't only been an extension of the coach, but he has also called the plays for the defense. ESPN's Mike Reiss wrote:

"Free-agent signing Robert Spillane has been a coach-like presence on the field, with Kuhr making the call to Spillane via headset, and then Spillane taking it from there."

Spillane was one of the big free agent acquisitions for the Patriots in the offseason. The former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker posted 158 tackles and two sacks last season. That marked his second consecutive year with at least 140 tackles.

He has a chance to be a real difference-maker for the Patriots on defense as both a playmaker and a leader on the field.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots promising newcomer already calling the defense