Spikes looks like he should be a really good player, and if Hightower also performs up to his potential, it’d be in the Patriots’ best interest to keep Jerod Mayo, Spikes and Hightower on the field as much as possible. Hightower might be versatile enough to play on the strong side in the 4-3, on the edge in the 3-4 and alongside Mayo or in a three-point stance in nickel packages. If that comes to fruition, Hightower and Spikes should be able to play alongside one another for more than just the next two years.