The Patriots placed James Develin on injured reserve with a neck injury Monday afternoon, sidelining the Pro Bowl fullback for at least eight weeks and possibly the rest of the 2019 season.
To some ill-informed observers it might not seem like a huge loss. After all, Develin is “just” a fullback in the modern, pass-first world of NFL football.
Those observers, and anyone else who leans on the “next man up” mantra to describe the Develin loss, are simply ignorant to what the veteran fullback brings to the ultimate team in the ultimate team sport.
Sure, it’s tough to quantify Develin’s contributions through simple statistics.
A year ago Develin set career highs in rushes (6) and receptions (12), while punching in four touchdowns, quadrupling his previous career total while playing on 36 percent of New England’s offensive snaps. He never played in more than 50 percent of the snaps in any of his eight starts and 16 games played in 2018.
Develin also saw action on 34 percent of the Patriots special teams snaps last fall, where he tallied one kickoff return for 15 yards and three tackles.
But those numbers are clearly just the tip of the iceberg of Develin’s contributions, something the guys he shares a locker room are well aware of.
“I’ve never had a better teammate in 12 years of football,” New England special teams captain Matthew Slater said. “He’s the best teammate I’ve ever been around, barring none. He’s a tremendous human being, but he’s always been about putting this team first. He’s always been about sacrificing for the greater good. And when you talk about everything this organization hopes to stand for, nobody embodies it better than James.”
Oh by the way, Develin was on the field for every Patriots rushing touchdown over the last two postseason runs, including last January when New England became a run-first offense on the way to a victory in Super Bowl LIII. Watch the postseason highlight videos and Develin won’t be the focal point in any of the clips, but if it’s a running play or a ground score, a closer look will show him playing a critical role and…wait for it…doing his job.
Just as importantly, Develin is a tone-setter in everything he does. His crushing lead blocks bring an edge to the field, something that the Tom Brady-led Patriots may have lacked at times before Develin became a full time player back in 2013, as the quarterback himself has admitted in the past.
Bill Belichick has compared Develin to the hockey player that goes into the corers to get the puck in the ugly action against the boards. He doesn’t show up too often in the stat sheet but those who know the game know his importance.
He’s also a tone-setter off the field with his work ethic and positive attitude. Belichick has said no one work’s harder than his fullback and maybe no one has a more positive attitude, helping bring cohesion to veteran coach Ivan Fears’ running back room. Again, check the highlights, any time a running back makes a big play Develin is generally the first guy to celebrate with his teammates, whether the fullback was on the field for the action or not.
So how will the Patriots replace Develin’s many key contributions? The simple answer is that they won’t, because as Slater indicated he’s a special New England teammate in so many ways.
The “next man up” answer is that German-born rookie Jakob Johnson, signed to the roster over the weekend, will have to continue what Belichick described as a “remarkable” rise from the NFL’s International Pathways program to potential legitimate contributor.
The 6-3, 255-pound Johnson showed the ability to lay some punishing blocks in the preseason, but his comfort, versatility and reliability in the Patriots overall offense remains very much in question.
More likely, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will go with less game plans that include a heavy dose of fullback. As he’s done with so many personnel changes over the years, McDaniels will adjust and look in a different direction.
The other question surrounding Develin’s injury is whether he might be a consideration to return from IR later in the season. He joins first-round rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry and second-year left tackle Isaiah Wynn on IR, with each NFL team allowed by rule to bring back just two players from the list during the season. Even if deemed worthy of one of those slots, reports indicate some uncertainty with the timetable for return for Develin from a neck injury that includes both muscle and disc concerns.
The Patriots will move on without Develin. Some will deem it a minor loss.
It is not.
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