FOXBORO (CBS) – The biggest news coming out of camp for the Patriots on Tuesday was the return to practice for linebacker Brandon Spikes.

For the first four days of camp, Spikes watched all the action from the sidelines. Yesterday, he took part in the linebacker drills and broke up a couple of screen passes.

Dating back to his days at Florida, Spikes is known as an energy guy. At one point on Tuesday, his energy led to a celebration on the field.

Read: Levan Reid’s Patriots Blog

“It was just the energy, the happiness,” Spikes said of his return. “I was just excited.”

Spikes is coming off an offseason knee procedure, and although he was in uniform at the start of camp Tuesday was the first time he took part in any practice. He returns to a linebacking corps that could form a deadly trio of himself, Captain Jerod Mayo and rookie Dont’a Hightower.

Read: Linebackers Preview

After years of success with players like Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinnest and Ted Johnson, linebacker play has been a bit of a problem for the Patriots the past few seasons. But now with the injection of youth from Spikes and Hightower, mixed with the evolving maturity of Mayo, it could be one of the strong points on the Patriots D.

Opposing quarterbacks, and ball-carriers, beware.

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