New England Patriots’ Jerod Mayo will miss Brandon Spikes

After he didn’t play in the postseason, linebacker Brandon Spikes knew he would not be returning to the New England Patriots in 2014, so he signed with the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.

The Patriots’ best linebacker, Jerod Mayo, admitted that he would miss Spikes on Tuesday.

“I guess all the jokes in the meetings,” Mayo told Phil Perry of CSN New England. “Brandon is a great player. Obviously he’s not with us anymore. He brought a physicality to the game that’s kind of unprecedented as far as in the run game. He’s a good player. But at the end of the day, he’s not a Patriot right now. We’re gonna work with the guys we have in our room.”

Mayo does believe the Patriots have players who can replace Spikes’ production.

“I think we have guys in the room that are able to play the game the way it’s supposed to be played,” Mayo said, “and [will] go out there and make the same plays.”

Mayo was limited to six games in 2013 because of a torn pectoral muscle, but still managed to make 55 tackles and 1.5 sacks.