Vitale seeks running start
Fullback hopes to make his mark in New England this season
There’s a small fraternity in the NFL.
It’s quiet and small, but growing.
Only a few of the brothers are famous, and even then it’s by football standards. Once considered extinct, their shared position is ongoing a renaissance. And they want to expedite that process as quickly as possible.
In other words — the words printed on the T-shirts and hats Atlanta’s Keith Smith distributed to his fellow fullbacks last year — they want to Make Fullbacks Great Again.
In New England, new Patriot Dan Vitale is charged with replacing a backfield great in James Develin and is expected to put his own spin on the position in 2020. Vitale, signed away from the Packers this offseason, is already a seasoned journeyman. The 26-year-old previously enjoyed stops in Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Green Bay, where he built on the versatility that earned him the title of “Superback” in college.
He’s not a battering ram like Develin or quite the receiving threat 49ers Pro Bowler Kyle Juszczyk is. He’s his own man, his own fullback; one the Pats are hoping can quietly become great.
“When I was in Tampa Bay, I was more of a tight end, wing-type of player. In Cleveland, I was kind of a hand-in-the-ground, bruising type fullback. And then in my time in Green Bay, I did a little bit of both. I was kind of all over the field,” Vitale told reporters Thursday via video conference, before later adding: “(I) learn as much as I can for as many spots as I can. So whenever they need somebody to step in, I can fill that role.”
Whenever the Patriots practice next, Vitale will be locked in a head-to-head position battle with fellow fullback Jakob Johnson, who began last season on the team’s practice squad. When Develin was sidelined in September, Johnson replaced him on the 53-man roster. Once the longest of long shots to make the team, he is now a viable candidate to replace Develin.
In March, Vitale signed a 1-year contract with only $100,000 guaranteed. These days, he participates in the same virtual meetings as Johnson and the team’s tight ends, who usually meet together. Vitale is embracing his new role as a veteran presence.
“I look forward to pushing those younger guys like Jakob, like Dalton (Keene), like Jake Burt — anybody really; Devin (Asiasi), anybody who might be in that role being able to really push each other, help each other learn,” he said. “We’re all kind of in the same position right now, obviously, with the virtual meetings and not being able to get on the field. So, just pushing each other. I don’t think you put any pressure on each other to really take one’s job or anything like that.”
When asked about learning yet another playbook, Vitale indicated he hasn’t been fazed. Aside from being unable to practice, he expressed that the installation is more or less the same he experienced with other teams.
“Relatively speaking, as an older player, it’s pretty similar to what we’d be going through,” Vitale said. “We’re able to watch film and everything. We have our playbooks on our iPads and everything, so we can look through. As an older player, you kind of know what the job requires.”
To truly thrive in New England, it’s likely Vitale will have to escape Develin’s shadow, perhaps with a couple receiving scores, a rushing touchdown or maybe both. Last season, he caught a career-high seven passes and rushed once while playing 16% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps.
While Develin’s shadow will be a tiny fraction of the shade Tom Brady has left behind for Jarrett Stidham to play under, there are small parallels to draw between the succession plans. Like Brady has been for aspiring quarterbacks for more than a decade, Develin was once the model to young fullbacks fighting to find fellowship in the league — Vitale included.
“I think it was pretty clear how important James was to this Patriot 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 as working with a lot of the other guys,” Vitale said. “So, yeah, it will be fun.”