Tag: James Develin

35 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 35 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 35 jersey number

The countdown to the New England Patriots’ regular season opener continues with the team officially being 35 days away from their Sept. 10 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

So today, we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn the No. 35 jersey.

Second-year running back Pierre Strong Jr. is the current owner of the jersey. The former fourth-round draft pick has been relatively unknown up to this point, but he could see an uptick in action in 2023 with the Patriots lacking in running back depth.

Strong’s jersey number carries a long history with Patriots standouts, such as Kyle Dugger, James Develin and Jim Nance wearing it. Former Patriots running back Jonas Gray is also a name that sticks given how quickly he flashed and fizzled out in New England. Who could ever forget him rushing for 201 yards and four touchdowns against the Colts in 2014?

Let’s take a look at every player throughout franchise history that has ever worn the number (via Pro Football Reference).

46 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 46 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 46 jersey number

The New England Patriots are 46 days away from officially opening the 2023 NFL season against the Philadelphia Eagles. So we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn the No. 46 jersey.

The number currently belongs to long snapper Tucker Addington, but the player most known for wearing it is none other than legendary fullback James Develin.

During a time when the fullback position was considered a dying breed, Develin helped raise it from the ashes as a Patriot. He’s a three-time Super Bowl champion and a former Pro Bowler. His contributions were truly one of a kind as a do-everything fullback.

Here’s every Patriots player, including Develin, that has worn the No. 46 throughout franchise history (via Pro Football Reference):

Former Patriots FB James Develin hoping Gillette Stadium greets Tom Brady in proper fashion

James Develin is excited for Tom Brady the time.

It seems as though the entire NFL is anticipating Tom Brady’s return to New England on Sunday. Many of Brady’s former teammates will be in attendance, including fullback James Develin.

Develin is excited for the matchup, one that will see Brady and Bill Belichick go toe-to-tor for the first time ever. Both teams are looking to rebound, coming off losses to the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints respectively.

Develin was a big part of both Brady and Belichick’s success. He won three super Bowls of the organization, and made the Pro Bowl in 2017. This time around, he will be watching from a different vantage point.

“It’s still kind of weird to see (Brady) wearing that jersey,” Develin admitted from his Pennsylvania home last week. “But, hey, I love that guy man. And I support him wholeheartedly in whatever he decides is best for him. I’m glad to see him having the success he’s had. But it’s definitely still strange to not see him in a Pats uniform.

“It’ll be good to see him in Gillette once more. Hopefully he gets a good ovation. I’m excited to see that. I’m sure it’s going to be wild.”

With so much hype surrounding this matchup, Gillette Stadium will undoubtedly be buzzing.

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Patriots FB Dan Vitale is the perfect successor to James Develin

“It’s definitely some pretty dang big shoes to fill. James was a hell of a player.”

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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Bill Belichick details why Patriots were ‘very fortunate’ to have James Develin

“Any team would be fortunate to have a James Devlin-‘type’ on its roster”

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.

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Patriots FB James Develin announces his retirement from NFL

He had a heck of a career.

New England Patriots fullback James Develin announced he’s retiring on Monday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Devlin suffered a season-ending neck injury in 2019, and New England immediately seemed to struggle in the running game. Sony Michel, for example, regressed from 4.5 yards per carry in 2018 to 3.7 yards per carry in 2019. There were a number of factors which contributed to that decline, but there is no doubt that Develin was one of them.

He scored five rushing touchdowns on 15 carries. He also had 31 receptions for 222 receiving yards. But his stats, of course, do not show all the game-changing blocks he delivered while lead blocking for running backs like LeGarrette Blount, Dion Lewis, Michel, James White, Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen, Jonas Gray and so many others.

The Patriots signed fullback Dan Vitale this offseason, and drafted tight end Dalton Keene, who played some fullback in college. Perhaps the team had a sense this was coming.

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What does Danny Vitale signing mean for James Develin?

Signing a 26-year-old fullback in Danny Vitale could be worrisome for James Develin.

After a troublesome season at fullback in 2019, the New England Patriots now carry three on their roster.

The Patriots have newly signed Danny Vitale, seven-year veteran James Develin and second-year undrafted free agent Jakob Johnson. Both Develin and Johnson went down with injuries last season, leaving the job for former linebacker Elandon Roberts.

New England has been one of the NFL’s leading teams in fullback production, with Develin guiding the way for running backs and providing the occasional option as a pass-catcher. The 31-year-old went down last season with a neck injury, and his status for the 2020 season is still unknown. According to NESN’s Doug Kyed, Develin is feeling good, but it’s still up to the Patriots to clear him for the season.

Vitale, 26,  is an up-and-coming fullback who’s healthier and seems to have a higher ceiling in terms of pass-catching. Although he carries similar NFL numbers to Develin — Vitale hauled in 135 catches, 1,427 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in college at Northwestern.

Another contributing factor is the absence of Tom Brady, which will create an enormous void throughout the organization, but offensively in specific. The Patriots struggled to run the ball effectively last season without a fullback and they needed a solid rush attack to compliment their overpowering defense. A healthy and capable fullback will be more essential than ever, with the strong possibility that Bill Belichick goes to a run-dominant offense and locks down with defensive dominance.

Given Develin’s age and recent injury, it’s very possible Belichick will view him as a liability and move on from the Pro Bowler. There’s also the possibility the position is viewed as high priority and they keep two very capable fullbacks on the roster.

Develin’s position on the team isn’t gone just yet, but the signing of Vitale will provide some uncertainty.

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6 takeaways from Patriots’ unpredictable 2019 season

Here are 6 major takeaways from New England’s 2019 season.

What a wild ride for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2019.

Coming off of a Super Bowl victory, the Patriots were equipped and prepared to make another run. After eight weeks of the season, people were ready to crown them as one of the greatest Patriots teams ever. By the time playoffs came, many claimed the end of a dynasty. New England was unpredictable from the beginning of the offseason and and that theme was glaring throughout the entire year.

Brady came out firing at the start of the season, but his production plummeted as the weeks flew by. The defense started off as one of the greatest units in NFL history, and turned into a pretty solid group.

However you interpret the season, you can’t deny that they finished 12-4 and entered the playoffs. This was a really good season — if you don’t look at it from the Patriots’ standards.

Let’s take a dive into seven takeaways from the season.

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