The New England Patriots have officially announced their Hall of Fame finalists for the 2020 induction. According to the official Twitter account of The Hall, the 2020 finalists are Patriot legends Bill Parcels, Richard Seymour, and Mike Vrabel.
Bill Parcells, @BigSey93 and @CoachVrabel50 are your 2020 @Patriots Hall of Fame finalists!#TheHall: https://t.co/4qUfAmQGW5
— The Hall presented by RTX (@TheHall) April 21, 2020
Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour, Bill Parcels Are New England Patriots Hall of Fame Finalists
Bill Parcells was the first of the trio of call New England home. After establishing himself as a coaching legend with the New York Giants, the two-time Super Bowl champion joined New England prior to the 1993 season. Armed with first-overall pick Drew Bledsoe, Parcells transformed New England from one of the worst teams in the league to a Super Bowl contender. While the Patriots never won a title with Parcells, they made it to the Super Bowl in 1996. Additionally, several players from the Parcells Era ended up as major contributors to New England’s first dynasty. While the divorce between the two parties was ugly, his contributions to the franchise simply cannot be ignored.
Mike Vrabel spent the first four seasons of his career as a backup on the Pittsburgh Steelers. He signed with New England during the 2001 free agency period and ended up being one of the best signings in team history. Originally an afterthought, Vrabel earned a starting role on the 2001 defense and was one of the most important components to that championship run. Vrabel proved to be more than a one-year wonder, recording 48 sacks and 762 tackles during his time with the Patriots. Vrabel’s career in New England came to a close when Bill Belichick traded him and Matt Cassell to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick.
Bill Belichick doesn’t get a top pick in the draft very often, and he sure made this one count. Selected with the sixth-overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Seymour immediately became a key component to New England’s dominant defense. At his best, there weren’t many in the league better at getting after the quarterback and disrupting the offensive line. Seymour is a three-time First-Team All-Pro and is one of the icons of the early dynasty.
