After one season with the Buffalo Bills, in which he saw his playing time decrease as the season wore on, linebacker Brandon Spikes today signed with the team that drafted him back in 2010, the New England Patriots.
Spikes' skill-set has always been that of a two-down run stuffing linebacker, a role he can excel in. Unfortunately, his lack of coverage skills in a league dominated by the pass caused his snap count to drop consistently throughout the 2014 season.
A sizable contingent of Bills fans have been clamoring for the team to resign the veteran out of Florida but after several discussions between Spikes and Bills team officials they were not on the same page in terms of value. General manager Doug Whaley last discussed Spikes during the Combine in February and said he was going to reach out to him once the Combine had concluded. It's likely that Spikes' asking price remained unchanged when Whaley contacted him and thus, the Bills moved on.
Spikes is a decent player and his skills against the run are valuable, but during 2014 it was evident that the Bills were comfortable with third-round draft pick Preston Brown anchoring the middle linebacker spot. The new coaching staff overseen by head coach Rex Ryan must feel similar as they too have been expressing their excitement over the former Louisville defender. Also on the roster is third-year player Ty Powell, who has been working to transition to inside linebacker from his college position of defensive end. Powell has the size and athleticism the Bills prefer in their linebackers and has been running with the second team during early off-season team activities.
Spikes' skill-set has always been that of a two-down run stuffing linebacker, a role he can excel in. Unfortunately, his lack of coverage skills in a league dominated by the pass caused his snap count to drop consistently throughout the 2014 season.
A sizable contingent of Bills fans have been clamoring for the team to resign the veteran out of Florida but after several discussions between Spikes and Bills team officials they were not on the same page in terms of value. General manager Doug Whaley last discussed Spikes during the Combine in February and said he was going to reach out to him once the Combine had concluded. It's likely that Spikes' asking price remained unchanged when Whaley contacted him and thus, the Bills moved on.
Spikes is a decent player and his skills against the run are valuable, but during 2014 it was evident that the Bills were comfortable with third-round draft pick Preston Brown anchoring the middle linebacker spot. The new coaching staff overseen by head coach Rex Ryan must feel similar as they too have been expressing their excitement over the former Louisville defender. Also on the roster is third-year player Ty Powell, who has been working to transition to inside linebacker from his college position of defensive end. Powell has the size and athleticism the Bills prefer in their linebackers and has been running with the second team during early off-season team activities.