According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the New England Patriots have released LB Brandon Spikes. The Patriots just brought him in as a free agent a short two weeks ago, but Spikes may have a legal investigation to deal with.
Over the weekend, a 2011 Mercedes Maybach registered in Spikes’ name was found on the road damaged and empty by the police. According to both Jeremy Gottlieb and Braden Campbell of Boston.com, “The case began soon before 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning, when police responded to a report of a vehicle abandoned in the median of I-495. The troopers had been told by a representative of the OnStar navigation system that the car’s driver had reported hitting a deer. They soon determined that it (the car) belonged to Spikes. But they didn’t find any deer.”
December 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (right) instructs middle linebacker Brandon Spikes (51) during the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The report continues to state: “Soon after, troopers said they responded to a report that a 2009 Nissan Murano had been rear-ended in the same area. The occupants said they had been hit by another vehicle that they did not see. The three people inside – a 51-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman, and a 12-year-old boy — were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.”
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Whether it was Spikes or not is impossible to say at the this time, but it certainly seems that someone driving his car ran into these people and ran away. Now, why they ran away is the interesting part, as minor traffic accidents happen all of the time. Regardless, the Patriots are not going to wait around and see what happens to Spikes, as they wasted no time releasing him.
On the field, Spikes was not necessarily expected to play a huge role with the Patriots, but he would have been a nice depth addition. Aside from Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower and Jerod Mayo, the Patriots have very little at the inside linebacker position. This past season, Spikes played for the Buffalo Bills, signed as an unrestricted free agent after spending the first four seasons of his NFL career in Foxborough.
Now however, the depth role at the position must be filled by someone else, as the Patriots are not going to touch Spikes with a ten-foot pole, at least until his name is cleared.
Next: Patriots: Who Replaces Shane Vereen as Receiving Back?
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