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Fullback Dan Vitale is trying to follow in the footsteps of James Develin

Dan Vitale knows he has “big shoes” to fill after the departure of retired Patriots fullback James Develin. It’s a task he feels like he’s ready for.

After signing with the Patriots in March, the fullback admitted in a conference call on Thursday that one thing that “enticed” him to join the team was not only how they approached the fullback position, but how they utilized Develin — who recently retired due to health reasons.

“There’s only a handful of teams in the league that use fullbacks nowadays,” Vitale said. “Obviously there’s been a little bit of a resurgence around the league with the success that a lot of teams have had.