The New England Patriots have a silent need at linebacker as two of their three projected starters, Jerod Mayo and Dont'a Hightower, are still recovering from last season's surgeries. It's unclear if Mayo, coming off of two consecutive season-ending injuries, will be the same as before. It's also a question of whether Hightower will be ready to play Week 1 after having surgery on his labrum.
So Bill Belichick looked at his phone book and called up an old friend: per ESPN's Field Yates, the Patriots have signed linebacker Brandon Spikes to a one-year contract.