If linebacker Brandon Spikes wants an every-down role, it’s unlikely to be with the Bills.
In an interview with WGR-AM in Buffalo on Thursday, Bills General Manager Doug Whaley said Spikes would be a part-time player if he were to re-sign with the club.
Spikes is slated to be an unrestricted free agent in March, and Whaley indicated he should test the market if he seeks an expanded role.
“So that one’s going to be more of, ‘Hey, do you want to come back and be a one-, two-down player, or do you want to try to go out there and see if you can [be] an every-down player?” Whaley said of Spikes.
The 27-year-old Spikes started 10-of-16 games for Buffalo a season ago, notching 54 tackles. Per Pro Football Focus, 249 of his 519 snaps were on run plays, an area where he can thrive because of his physicality. However, with standout Kiko Alonso set to return after missing 2014 with a knee injury, and with second-year pro Preston Brown notching 109 tackles as a rookie, there might not be a whole lot of other reps to go around at inside linebacker as Buffalo moves to a 3-4 front.
Whaley does have some affinity for Spikes. In the interview with WGR-AM, he called the linebacker “one of my favorite players.” There looks to be a job in Buffalo if Spikes wants it. But is it the one he desires?
