Well that’s that then. I was excited to have Spikes back and really thought he was a solid addition given the uncertainty of Mayo and Hightower. Still, it seems clear Spikes wasn’t quite the changed man he said he was last week and it’s probably better for this to happen now than in the middle of the season.
In what feels like deja vu, Dane Fletcher now looks in line to get significant snaps with the top defense until Hightower and Mayo can return. Like Spikes, I always liked Fletcher, obviously he’s not the power run stopper Spikes is, but he comes downhill hard, tackles well and is definitely better in space than Spikes was.
In 2013 Fletcher found himself playing a lot of linebacker in the Pats all0coverage dime package, this time he might not come off the field early in the season.