Since 2013, James Develin is undisputed as the New England Patriots’ fullback: the 30-year-old is one of the best players the NFL has to offer at his position, and a valuable role player for the reigning world champions on both offense and special teams. But while Develin is a model of consistency, he did suffer one major injury over the course of his career: a broken leg suffered during the preseason forced him to sit out all of 2015.
The Patriots did not immediately fill Develin’s role after his injury, and instead waited until mid-December to add a true fullback to their active roster.