Brandon Spikes blasts New England, talks IR designation and how he wasn't happy
We saw it a lot on twitter during his tenure with the Patriots (drafted in 2010) but but often did he express himself or speak his mind to the media.
Of course, that's the Patriot Way. Spikes isn't a Patriot anymore, he's a Buffalo Bill.
So, all of the things that Spikes kept his mouth shut about before? He's speaking out. Most notably, he tackled the Patriots abruptly putting him on season ending injured reserve prior to the team's first playoff game.
That didn't sit well with Spikes, who says he wasn't injured.
ESPN:
"I know I heard they put me on IR and stuff like that. That was just a false report," Spikes said Monday during a radio interview with WGR in Buffalo. "That's just how things go there. Almost like what happened with [Aqib] Talib and his hip.
"That was just from the labor throughout the season, man. It was just -- you know how it is -- it's a tough 16 games. All I needed was rest and rehab."
Patriots followers all suspected that Spikes would not return when he skipped out on Patriots OTAs last spring., but that IR designation really sealed the deal.
Spikes was dealing with a knee injury apparently, but wasn't expected to miss any playing time. Reports surfaced that the team put Spikes on Injured Reserve because he was late to a team meeting due to snow. Spike's agent also came out and said the decision "was not mutual".
As for Spikes overall time in New England, he doesn't look back with fond memories.
The Bills signed Spikes to a one-year, $3.25 million deal last Friday. He reflected on his stint with the Patriots on Monday, saying "I wouldn't say happy," when asked about his time with New England.
"It's always great to start over and get a re-up and have a fresh start somewhere," Spikes said during the interview. "Somewhere you're wanted, where people love you there and they're excited about you being there.
"It's just great. [To] be somewhere I'm wanted -- that was the whole thing for me."
From what else we've heard of Spikes he was apparently frustrated that the Patriots refused to use him on third down. He has not been shy about expressing those frustrations now that he's out of Foxborough.
Brandon Spikes yesterday in a conference call with Buffalo reporters, Via CSNNE:
“I played on it if they gave me the opportunity and I delivered when I was out there,” he explained. “Obviously we went to the Super Bowl and I had one of the best games on third downs even though we lost. That whole entire season when I was given the opportunity and play on third down, I delivered. You asked the question about the packages, I was in all of them on third down. I don’t know what happened, but I guess I just couldn’t cover out there for a few years. I don’t know, that’s what they said. Like I said, that’s in the past and now I’m just here to change all that. Prove people wrong if that is what they’d like to say
