Patriots announce three finalists for their 2020 Hall of Fame vote

Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, the New England Patriots’ Hall of Fame voting committees — two groups that include, among others, current Patriots staff member/football historian Ernie Adams — gathered earlier this month in a virtual setting to discuss the candidates worthy of being inducted in 2020. Three men distinguished themselves from the others during this process, as was announced earlier today.

According to the Patriots, the finalists for their Hall of Fame vote this year are as follows:

Richard Seymour

The Patriots’ first-round selection in 2001, Seymour spent the first eight seasons of his 12-year career in New England and appeared in 126 games for the franchise before getting traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2009. The defensive tackle played a key role in New England’s first three Super Bowl-winning runs, was voted to five Pro Bowls while with the team and named to the NFL’s Team of the 2000s. He also is a member of both the Patriots’ team of the 2000s and the franchise’s 50th anniversary team. Seymour also was a finalist in each of the last four years.

Mike Vrabel

New England signed Vrabel as an unrestricted free agent in 2001 and turned him into a cornerstone of three Super Bowl-winning teams. A one-time Pro Bowler and member of the Patriots’ Team of the 2000s and 50th anniversary team, Vrabel played 142 games for the franchise and registered a total of 56.0 sacks along the way. He also embodied New England’s “Do Your Job”-mentality: As a part-time tight end, Vrabel caught 10 passes — all of which touchdowns. The Tennessee Titans’ current head coach has made the final three each year since 2016.

Bill Parcells

A Pro Football Hall of Famer, who won two Super Bowls as head coach of the New York Giants, Parcells arrived in New England in 1993 following a two-year retirement. Under his leadership, the team went from being the worst in football to a serious playoff contender: Parcells’ Patriots teams may have gone only 32-32 during the regular season, but they made the playoffs twice, and in 1996 — his final year before leaving — won both the AFC East and advanced all the way to the Super Bowl. Furthermore, cornerstone players of the team’s dynasty of the early 2000s such as Ty Law, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest and Adam Vinatieri were acquired with Parcells at the helm.

Click here to vote for your favorite candidate: