I need some information to settle an arguement.....

[patfanken]

.... Does anyone know who Parcells wanted to draft instead of Terry Glenn. I had thought it was Cedric Jones, but he was drafted before the Pats drafted at #7. What's the true story, or at least the alleged story. Documentation will help.

 

[jmt57]

I thought it was Tony Brackens, but I'll have to check.

 

[goalkeepr]

Google Books - New England Patriots: The Complete Illustrated History By Christopher Price

"... such as Cedric Jones, Duane Clemons, or Tony Brackens..."

 

[Lampshade]

I don't believe it's ever been confirmed 100% that there was a particular player, but Brackens is the guy that gets mentioned most often.

 

[Snake Eyes]

.... Does anyone know who Parcells wanted to draft instead of Terry Glenn. I had thought it was Cedric Jones, but he was drafted before the Pats drafted at #7. What's the true story, or at least the alleged story. Documentation will help.

Vonnie Holliday

 

[The_Riddler]

It definately was Cedric Jones that Parcells coveted.

I remember it distinctly, because that year I wanted him to take T. Glenn and I knew the only shot of that happening was if Cedric Jones was taken before #7. Sure enough it happened.

I remember hopping around my living room when the Giants made that selection..........

 

[upstater1]

.... Does anyone know who Parcells wanted to draft instead of Terry Glenn. I had thought it was Cedric Jones, but he was drafted before the Pats drafted at #7. What's the true story, or at least the alleged story. Documentation will help.

Sorry, no documentation, but I know if you could find the Will McDonough day-after article from 1995, that's where the info comes from.

Parcells wanted Cedric Jones, Grier wanted Terry Glenn.

McDonough was actually in the room, and this is what he reported (mind you, McD predicted that the Patriots would take Jones, natch, because he was buds with Parcells). Kraft actually sided with Parcells, and they went into the draft room that morning prepared to select Jones. When the Giants grabbed Jones, that's when all hell broke loose. Kraft supposedly undercut Parcells and let Grier make the selection of Terry Glenn. When Parcells saw that, he threw a hissy fit and stormed out of the draft room. He actually slammed the door loudly.

all else is revisionist history.

Subsequently there were articles in which Parcells said he wanted to trade down to 12 for Tony Brackens (but it's questionable because Brackens was a second round pick) or Duane Clemons. Clemons who was picked there was a bust, Brackens became a player even though taken in the 2nd round. Jones was also a bust.

So we have insight that Parcells wanted one of three DEs, only one of whom turned out to be a good player.

 

[upstater1]

I don't believe it's ever been confirmed 100% that there was a particular player, but Brackens is the guy that gets mentioned most often.

There was an eyewitness to the events, Will McDonough, and he reported them in the Boston Globe the day after the draft.

 

[Lampshade]

There was an eyewitness to the events, Will McDonough, and he reported them in the Boston Globe the day after the draft.

Good enough for me.

 

[reflexblue]

I think it was Cedric Jones also.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Vonnie Holliday

Hah - -wasn't he the subject of a Borges tirade, about the Pats picking Robert Edwards instead of him?

 

[Gwedd]

Hah - -wasn't he the subject of a Borges tirade, about the Pats picking Robert Edwards instead of him?

Edwards was a GREAT pick. It was tragic how his career was cut short like that. I often wonder about how far he and the Patriots might have gone if he hadn't been hurt like that.

 

[jmt57]

I found a very interesting old column by Will McDonough, I'm going to have to go back and finish reading it. Here's the link and what he had to say on the subject:
Boston Globe Online / Top Sports Stories of the Year, 1997

"Well, it all depends on who is there," he said, "but my boys" -- Parcells and Grier -- "tell me we're going to take a defensive lineman.

"There's three guys we're interested in. Cedric Jones. Duane Clemons. Tony Brackens. We'll have a shot at one of those three."

Within 30 minutes of that conversation, I called Parcells and told him what Kraft said. "That's right," he answered. "One of those defensive linemen. That's where we need the help. We stink on defense."

This local writer also says it was Brackens:
NewStandard: 4/9/97 - Pats' Grier where he deserves to be -- in the spotlight

So the choice of Glenn was a no-brainer for Grier. Unfortunately, it also was the straw that broke the camel's back in his relationship with Parcells, who had preferred instead to choose defensive end Tony Brackens of Texas with the Pats' first pick.

"Usually, Bill and I agreed on the players we chose," reported Grier. "That wasn't true in the case of Terry Glenn. We were never as close after Robert (Kraft) elected to go along with the scouts' recommendation on Terry."

This local writer says it was Jones:
NewStandard: 4/25/96

And speaking of coaching, did you notice that most of the quotes regarding the Patriots' No. 1 pick, Terry Glenn, came from owner Bob Kraft or personnel director Bobby Grier?
The best Bill Parcells, who coveted Oklahoma defensive end Cedric Jones, could offer was, "Well, he was one of the players we felt very strongly about."
And after the Christian Peter fiasco, one has to wonder if Parcells and Kraft are on the same page.

Our own Bob George says it was Brackens:
How Exactly Will History Judge Parcells?

Kraft named Bobby Grier director of player personnel. When the 1996 draft came about, Parcells desperately wanted to draft defensive end Tony Brackens out of Texas in the first round. But Parcells was overruled by Kraft and Grier, and instead drafted wide receiver Terry Glenn out of Ohio State. Brackens wound up being drafted by Jacksonville, and would remain with the team through 2003, playing his entire NFL career with the Jaguars.

 

[upstater1]

I found a very interesting old column by Will McDonough, I'm going to have to go back and finish reading it. Here's the link and what he had to say on the subject:
Boston Globe Online / Top Sports Stories of the Year, 1997




This local writer also says it was Brackens:
NewStandard: 4/9/97 - Pats' Grier where he deserves to be -- in the spotlight



This local writer says it was Jones:
NewStandard: 4/25/96



Our own Bob George says it was Brackens:
How Exactly Will History Judge Parcells?

None of this contradicts the other since Jones was taken before Glenn so he was no longer an option. However, it has been reported that Kraft would have gone with Jones instead of Glenn. Jones was taken surprisingly by the Giants, and that's when all the other revisionist history comes in.

There's more to the story. For instance, Parcells claimed he wanted to trade down for Brackens AND a WR (Moulds?) but that information didn't come until well after the draft, like years later. Mcdonough did NOT report a plan B for Parcells, although there surely had to be one for Parcells to get upset at the selection of Glenn. He obviously wanted to do something else, and I sure hope it wasn't Clemons.

Regardless, Terry Glenn was a huge reason they made the Super Bowl that year.

 

[reflexblue]

None of this contradicts the other since Jones was taken before Glenn so he was no longer an option. However, it has been reported that Kraft would have gone with Jones instead of Glenn. Jones was taken surprisingly by the Giants, and that's when all the other revisionist history comes in.

There's more to the story. For instance, Parcells claimed he wanted to trade down for Brackens AND a WR (Moulds?) but that information didn't come until well after the draft, like years later. Mcdonough did NOT report a plan B for Parcells, although there surely had to be one for Parcells to get upset at the selection of Glenn. He obviously wanted to do something else, and I sure hope it wasn't Clemons.

Regardless, Terry Glenn was a huge reason they made the Super Bowl that year.

This brought something back, it was after Jones turned out to be a bust that Parcells tried to re-wright history around the time of the "Buying the grocery's" press conference, by saying he really wanted Brackens who turned out to be very good.

 

[RobertWeathers]

This brought something back, it was after Jones turned out to be a bust that Parcells tried to re-wright history around the time of the "Buying the grocery's" press conference, by saying he really wanted Brackens who turned out to be very good.

Brackens would have been a very good player for this team.

Either way, getting TGs best year was a win-win for everyone. Long-term? Not so sure.

 

[patsfaninpa]

Brackens would have been a very good player for this team.

Either way, getting TGs best year was a win-win for everyone. Long-term? Not so sure.

Long term ??? Parcells stays another year or two. Belichick hired somewhere else in the intermim. How can you do better long-term than what we've done. That went down in 1996. Not 1966.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I was referring to Tony Brackens being chosen over Terry Glenn.

Short term, Glenn was a better choice.

Long term, getting 8 years out of a player who had 55 sacks and 27 forced fumbles might have put the Pats in a better position.

I'd always take the DE over the WR but thats me.

 

[upstater1]

I was referring to Tony Brackens being chosen over Terry Glenn.

Short term, Glenn was a better choice.

Long term, getting 8 years out of a player who had 55 sacks and 27 forced fumbles might have put the Pats in a better position.

I'd always take the DE over the WR but thats me.

The problem with that though is that there's no guarantee a slight DE like Brackens (weight 260) might not have stuck around in Belichick's defense. After all, we cut Greg Spires loose and he ended up going to the Pro Bowl.

 

[Joker]

Believe it or not I got notes from this draft, as I kept logs of every draft during the 90's...when Jones went, the consensus at NEPats dot com was Brackens was Bill's choice...and post draft this was confirmed through many local media sources.