Spikes Cited

Linebacker Brandon Spikes, who was released by the Patriots on Monday, was officially charged on Friday with speeding, operating a motor vehicle negligently to endanger, leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in injuries and failing to stay in marked lanes. It is the result of a bizarre situation that took place in the early hours of Sunday morning when Spikes left his vehicle abandoned on I-495 in Foxborough.

Spikes’ vehicle was involved in an accident, which he initially reported to Onstar as a collision with a deer. It wasn’t until another accident was reported nearby shortly thereafter — a family driving an SUV was rear-ended in a hit-and-run — that it became clear Spikes was driving the vehicle that struck the family.

The occupants of the SUV suffered minor injuries.

Although Spikes was not charged with a DUI, alcohol was almost certainly a factor. The only reason for him to abandon his vehicle and risk the additional “leaving the scene” charge is because he was intoxicated and did not want to pick up the more serious DUI citation.

Spikes, who spent last season in Buffalo after four seasons with the Patriots, signed a one-year deal to return to New England back in May. The deal was worth a maximum of $2 million but included just $25,000 in guaranteed money.

He was looking to turn the page in his second go-round with the Patriots. His first run with the team included some rocky moments, including serving a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and referring to his tenure with the team as “four years a slave.”

At OTAs late last month, he told reporters: “I just want to show [the Patriots] that I’ve changed as an individual, as a player, as a man.”

Now instead of turning the page, Spikes is bracing to have the book thrown at him.

Bucs Bring Back Wright

Tim Wright, who was traded from Tampa Bay to New England less than a year ago, was brought back by the Buccaneers on Friday when the team claimed him on waivers.

The Patriots cut Wright one day earlier after an offseason that saw New England add tight ends Scott Chandler, Fred Davis and and A.J. Derby.

In the original swap in 2014, the Buccaneers sent Wright and a fourth-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for five-time All Pro guard Logan Mankins. The road-grading Mankins is still under contract with the Buccaneers for two more seasons.

By allowing Wright to spend a season in New England, the Buccaneers essentially landed one of the best interior offensive linemen in the game for only a fourth-round pick. That’s a cost effective rental.

The Buccaneers were recently on the other end of a rent-and-flip. Bengals DE Michael Johnson spent a year in Tampa Bay before returning to the Bengals earlier this offseason, helping Cincinnati net a third-round compensatory pick in the process.

Wright appeared in all 16 games last season, including two starts, and finished with 26 catches for 259 yards and six scores. He will be a nice safety valve over the middle for rookie QB Jameis Winston. He should see the same favorable matchups he found in New England, thanks to the presence of outside threats Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.

Tears of a Clowney

Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft, is a long way from being cleared for physical contact as he recovers from microfracture surgery. But according to head coach Bill O’Brien, the finish line for Clowney’s lengthy rehab process is within sight.

“High expectations,” O’Brien said of Clowney. “I think the guy has worked hard. When I say high expectations I mean for him coming back and being on schedule to start the season. Now when he comes back to be able to practice in training camp, we don’t really know that yet.”

Clowney appeared in just four games, battling everything from a sports hernia to a concussion before being shelved for good by his balky knee. He finished with just seven tackles and no sacks.

If Clowney can make it back onto the field — and stay healthy once there — the Texans will boast one of the league’s most feared pass rushes. With Vince Wilfork eating up blockers in the middle and J.J. Watt wreaking havoc all over the line, Clowney could be freed up to dominate off the edges.

That kind of fearsome pass rush is exactly what the Texans need to compete in a division that features three quarterbacks drafted in the top three of their respective drafts: Andrew Luck, Marcus Mariota and Blake Bortles.

Jags Stand by Joeckel

Speaking of Bortles, one of Jacksonville’s primary goals this season is to give him better protection.

Some of that will come from upgraded talent on the offensive line, which arrived in the form or Jermey Parnell and A.J, Cann. But some of that improvement must come from within; for that, the Jaguars are looking to former No. 2 overall pick Luke Joeckel.

Joeckel allowed eight sacks last season and was graded by Pro Football Focus as one of the worst offensive tackles in the game. The hope is that new offensive line coach Doug Marrone, who spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Bills, can finally get Joeckel to reach his immense potential.

“I see great progress, I really do,” Marrone told ESPN.com. “Not just out of him but out of everyone. He’s put on some extra weight which has been good weight, some lean muscle mass. Obviously it’s a challenge for all of us learning a new system, but I see him progressing and getting better each day.”

Jaguars GM David Caldwell admits he planned Jacksonville’s lengthy rebuilding process around the idea of taking a left tackle in his first draft, a quarterback in his second and a pass rusher in his third. That plan already encountered a major bump when this year’s No. 3 overall pick, Dante Fowler, tore his ACL during rookie camp.

If Joeckel is unable to hold up his end of the deal and keep Bortles upright, Caldwell’s three-step plan could be right back at square one.

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