James Develin quietly fueled the New England Patriots’ offense since his second year in the league.
Develin appeared in all 16 games for five consecutive seasons and spent seven years in the NFL before retiring this spring. Bill Belichick gave a glowing retirement statement about the fullback, exclaiming his importance to the team. New England’s rushing attack suffered tremendously last season after Develin hit the injured reserve list with a nick injury.
The Patriots signed four-year veteran Dan Vitale this offseason to replace Develin and he had nothing but praise for the three-time Super Bowl champion.
“There are only a handful of teams in the league that use fullbacks nowadays. Obviously there has been a little bit of a resurgence around the league now with the success that a lot of teams have had,” Vitale said, transcribed by WEEI. “That definitely plays into it. Obviously you only have a couple options when it comes to that. Seeing all the amazing things that James Develin did over the last couple years, obviously that’s enticing for a fullback.
“It’s definitely some pretty dang big shoes to fill. James was a hell of a player. I’ve enjoyed watching him really since I got into the league now. He was really a role model at the position. As a fullback a lot of people don’t typically notice how important that role can be and I think it was pretty clear how important James really was to this Patriots team over the last however many years. Definitely have some really big shoes to fill but I’m really looking forward to that opportunity as well.”
Vitale spent the past two seasons with the Green Bay Packers and began finding his way as a pass-catcher. He recorded seven catches for 97 yards in 2019 — but, it was nothing compared to his 135 receptions, 1,427 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns he racked up in four years at Northwestern.
“I think the biggest thing that I learned about my style over the last couple years is being able to be versatile,” Vitale continued. “I think my abilities with the ball in my hands as well. That’s a huge advantage I think in my style of play is being able to be a playmaker when you need it. I think it showed a little bit last year as well in Green Bay. Looking forward to getting more opportunities to do that here in the near future. I will say at the end of the day too, it kind of comes with the territory at fullback, but kind of being the tough guy and having that mentality is important. That’s something I feel like I can bring as well. I’ll do any job that they ask me to do. I’ll play hard every single play and I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”
Vitale, 26, has youth on his side and could be the perfect replacement for Develin.
“I’ve jumped around the league a little bit and been in a lot of different rooms,” Vitale said. “I prepare the same way no matter what room I’m in. I try to learn every single role, every single job so whenever my number is called I’m able to do everything that’s asked of me and more. Just excited to eventually get back here with all the guys and seeing where I fit in, for sure.”
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