New England Patriots fullback James Develin spent seven seasons with the team before retiring on Monday.
He missed nearly all of the 2019 season with a neck injury and his absence was felt in New England’s rushing attack. Develin was a workhorse who always picked up his blocks and kept holes clean for players coming out of the backfield. He did the dirty work, and Bill Belichick harped on this in a statement he released Monday.
“To some people, James Develin may be ‘unsung’ in terms of publicity and fame, but to his coaches and teammates he is one of the most appreciated and respected players we have ever had,” Belichick said. “In football, there are a lot of tough, unselfish and dependable people who bring positive leadership on a daily basis, but the name James Develin represents those qualities at an elite level.
“A tribute to the impact James had on our success, of the five seasons in which he appeared in every game, we won three championships. Any team would be fortunate to have a James Devlin-‘type’ on its roster but the reality is he is a rarity and we are very fortunate he was a Patriot.”
The Patriots attempted to replace Develin last year with Jakob Johnson and linebacker Elandon Roberts — but they couldn’t find the run game after he went down. New England currently has Johnson and Danny Vitale rostered at the position — with rookie tight end Dalton Keene as a potential candidate to take some snaps at fullback.
[vertical-gallery id=85731]