New England Patriots Release Brandon Spikes: Taking Stock of Linebacker Depth

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Freeny

The Patriots pillaged Freeny from divisional rival Miami in free agency, adding a fifth Rutgers product to the roster after Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon and Tim Wright. Gotta love those Rutgers players.

After playing defensive end in college, Freeny has shifted to linebacker in the pros. He’s played special teams and not much else in his three NFL seasons, recording 44 tackles and a sack in three seasons with the Dolphins.

A bit undersized for a traditional pass rusher at 6-foot-2, 254 pounds, Freeny will probably be relegated to special teams duty with the Patriots, at least to start. He’s not the most tantalizing depth option behind the starting linebackers, but his Rutgers background that Bill Belichick certainly loves gives one hope that he could crack the lineup at some point.

Brought in on a one-year deal worth $850,000, Freeny isn’t going to be the most anticipated newcomer of the season by any means. But the depth he provides is nice to have, especially after the release of Spikes.

Next: Darius Fleming