National Football league roundup

[August 08, 2016]  Aug 7 (The Sports Xchange) - The Buffalo Bills signed linebacker Brandon Spikes to a one-year contract Sunday after he was out of the NFL for a year.

Spikes, 28, last played in the NFL for the Bills in 2014. He was set to rejoin the New England Patriots in 2015 but was released last June as police investigated his role in a hit-and-run crash in Massachusetts. Spikes later pleaded guilty to multiple motor vehicle charges and received probation.

The NFL suspended Spikes for the first four games of the 2015 regular season but he spent the year out of football. Spikes has played in 67 games and registered 340 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 16 passes defensed.

Buffalo also signed former Seattle and New Orleans linebacker David Hawthorne to an undisclosed contract. The 31-year-old Hawthorne spent his first four seasons with the Seahawks and last four with the Saints and has 12 career sacks and eight interceptions in 111 games (83 starts).

The Bills released linebacker Kevin Reddick (knee) with a waived/injured designation and also released cornerback Javier Arenas and receiver Gary Chambers.

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Former Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow II is working out with the Green Bay Packers in an attempt to revive his career.

Winslow, 33, hasn't played since 2013 when he caught 31 passes in 12 games for the New York Jets. He missed the other four games due to a suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The younger Winslow was the sixth overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns after a standout college career at Miami.

His NFL career didn't start well as he suffered a broken right leg during his rookie season. In the offseason, Winslow tore the ACL in his right knee when he was involved in a motorcycle accident and he missed the entire 2005 campaign.

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Hroniss Grasu, who was scheduled to be the Chicago Bears' starting center this season, sustained a knee injury Saturday that "looked fairly serious," according to coach John Fox.

Grasu fell to the ground without being touched during Saturday's practice. He grabbed at his right knee before being placed on the trainer's cart and taken off the field.

Grasu, a second-year player, was injured while changing direction to set up a screen pass to Jacquizz Rodgers. (Editing by Andrew Both)

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