New England Patriots: James Develin restored the fullback position

New England Patriots fullback James Develin announced his retirement on Monday, leading us to look back on how he revived the position.

Just when it looked like the fullback position was just about extinct in the NFL, a tough, blue collar bruiser from an Ivy league school made the roster of the New England Patriots and re-energized the position , thus bringing back the importance of the position in a league that shifted to more passing attacks.

James Develin, who announced his retirement via Instagram on Monday, became the definition of the fullback position during his tenure with the New England Patriots.  Not only did he become an All-Pro at the position, he showed how the position can still be utilized in a more pass happy league.

Whether it was bulldozing defenders to create holes for Sony Michel or going out wide as a tight end, Develin exemplified what it meant to be a Patriot which makes why him walking away from the game sooner than expected an important loss for a team in transition.

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On Tuesday, Develin opened up about his decision to retire due to complications he suffered following a neck injury that kept him out of football during the 2019 NFL season.

"“My injury last year kind of exposed some things that posed a potentially risky situation continuing to play the game of football,” he said during a video conference.  “That really was what led to my decision.  I just knew that given all the stuff that we kind of figured out that it was in my and my family’s best interest to no longer play the game.”"

Obviously, a tough decision as James Develin went on to explain, it was a necessary decision for a player who built his professional football resume of toughness.

That toughness was ever evident in how he helped the New England Patriots turn back the clock to become a more physical, hard-nosed, running team during their run through the 2018 playoffs and eventually a Super Bowl LIII trophy.

No, he didn’t have any flashy numbers running or catching the ball, but his evolution as a football player helped fulfill all those little things on the football field that ultimately become the difference between winners and losers.

In appreciation of what he brought to the game of football and to the New England Patriots, head coach Bill Belichick didn’t hold back words in describing the value of James Develin.

"“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-Develin-‘type’ on its roster but the reality is he is a rarity and we are very fortunate he was a Patriot.”"

Looking back at that time when Develin shredded several Houston Texans defenders to break the goal line on a one-yard touchdown run, it was evident he would become an important player for Bill Belichick.

Now, the New England Patriots have to replace that workmanlike attitude they have come to depend on from the fullback position.

In signing Danny Vitale, drafting Dalton Keene, as well as the return of Jakob Johnson, it appears the Patriots were prepared for the possibility of Devlin retiring.  It’s now up to one of those players or a combination of those players to help fill the void, which is hard to do for a player who is one of a kind.