As anyone who reads this site knows I am in full agreement with this. It’s unfortunate because I really love how Spikes plays and what he brings to the table. The Pats run defense was the best it’s been in a decade last year, and Spikes was a big part why.
One commenter suggested trying Hightower at middle linebacker in the base, which I thought would be interesting. I do think there’s a spot for both of them, but I would like to see Dane Fletcher, or another player in his mold, get a shot at starting in the base defense.
The Pats moved to a 4-3 defense but Spikes is really ideal for the 3-4 mike position. In the 4-3 you want someone like Brian Urlacher in his prime, who can run down the middle with tight ends and receivers.
So I’m not sure exactly what the answer is, but I think there will be some experimentation there. Unless Spikes make a big jump in coverage (which might be possible given his absence from twitter, maybe he’s working hard), I think they really need to consider reducing his snaps unless it’s against run-heavy teams.
Against the Broncos I’m not sure he should see the field, and again, I love the player, just not sure he can do what they need him to do.