Patriots Bring Back Brandon Spikes, Fifth Year a Charm? Cut Three
 After a year in Buffalo, Brandon Spikes has signed with New England. Spikes returns to the team he spent his first four years in the league with. (USA TODAY Images) |
In a somewhat surprising move the Patriots have signed linebacker Brandon Spikes. The move brings back the player who spent his first four seasons as a member of the Pats, before leaving last season for Buffalo.
Spikes signed a one-year deal according to ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter and will help solidify the Patriots middle of the run defense which lost Vince Wilfork during free agency.
In other news, the Patriots released three players, linebacker Cameron Gordon, wide receiver Devin Gardner and cornerback Chimdi Chekwa.
Gordon was an undrafted linebacker from Michigan in 2014 and was considered a priority free agent, signing for a guaranteed $35,000. The 6’3, 245 lb OLB was hurt in training camp last year, never having the opportunity to take the field.
Gardner, the 6’4 rookie UDFA from Michigan was attempting to transition from quarterback to wide receiver.
Chekwa, 26, is a 6’0 cornerback was signed by the Patriots just two months ago during free agency. Chekwa spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders.
His release brings to the forefront the issue of what the Patriots are doing at the cornerback position. Having lost their three starters from the Super Bowl winning team in 2014, the position is wide open for camp competition. Chekwa was still considered a longshot to make the team but, one would have to assume more moves are pending.
 Spikes, here at training camp in 2013 was always quick to interact with fans. (SBalestrieri Image) |
Reunion For Spikes: But the Spikes signing, while a fit schematically, is a surprise mainly because of the way he left town after signing with Buffalo.
Spikes had been playing hurt in December 2013, when he was late for a team meeting early in January during a snow storm. He was placed on injured reserve and missed the playoffs. The Patriots made no effort to re-sign him and Buffalo swooped in with an offer.
Once he signed with the Bills however is when the fireworks began, Spikes always an active user of social media took to his Twitter account to unload on both the Patriots and the New England fanbase. Spike tweeted, “Four years a slave” and that he was “blocking all the Massholes” soon after signing with the Bills, promising to hand the Patriots two losses in 2014.
Spikes has always been a down-hill, run stuffing linebacker and with Wilfork now a Texan and both Dont’a Hightower and Jerod Mayo recovering from injuries, his signing makes sense from a depth standpoint.
He brings that element of swagger and toughness to the defense as a two-down run stopper and at 27 still has plenty of tread left of his tires. He was the ninth best run stuffing linebacker according to Pro Football Focus, joining Jamie Collins (#1), and Hightower (#5). Slow recovering from his own knee woes, Spikes came on after the quarter mark of the season last year and was solid down the stretch.
How Will Spikes Fit In the Defense: Spikes remains an elite run stuffer in the middle but has never been particularly strong in pass coverage. His signing immediately upgrades the depth and is insurance in the event that either Mayo or Hightower is slowed in their recovery.
With the trend in the NFL going towards smaller more athletic linebackers, Spikes will probably see action with mainly the base defense and short yardage. Mayo, Hightower and Collins will see the majority of snaps on passing situations.
But for some of his former teammates, they’re thrilled to see Spikes back in a New England uniform. Rob Ninkovich spoke at his charity ping-pong event in Boston on Monday night.
“I’m excited for that,” Ninkovich said. “I saw him this morning and almost lost it. I love Brandon. He’s a great friend of mine. Great teammate. Unfortunately, he went away for a year and now he’s back.
“That tenacity, that toughness at the linebacker spot — running backs really don’t want to run in his way.”
Spikes was always one of the more colorful Pats players to cover during his four-year tenure here earlier. It seems that he and the Patriots have buried the hatchet and are able to move on.
His signing upgrades the depth of the unit, that when everyone is healthy gives New England one of the more talented linebacker units in the league. Maybe the fifth year is the charm for the mercurial Spikes with the Patriots and proof that you can go home again.
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