Parcells, Weis Sing Praise of Patriots' Draft Pick Jacoby Brissett
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots' selection of quarterback Jacoby Brissett was a little puzzling to some fans around New England.
But after hearing what a couple of former Patriots coaches are saying about the kid, it's easy to understand why Bill Belichick drafted Brissett with the 91st overall pick.
Brissett, who threw for over 5,000 yards and 43 touchdowns during his two years under center at NC State, will sit behind Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo on the New England depth chart. But throughout his playing career he has won over Bill Parcells and Charlie Weis, two football minds Belichick doesn't mind hearing from.
Both Parcells and Weis talked to The Boston Herald's Karen Gueregian about Brissett, and each painted a promising picture for the young quarterback.
"He's a Curtis Martin, Willie McGinest, Troy Brown-type player," Parcells told The Herald. "That's the kind of guy he is. Those kinds, those Tedy Bruschi types, those players who've been successful -- he's very similar in his personal life to those kinds of guys."
"You never really know for sure until you see a player under the gun, so to speak, at the top level. But, that being said, I have a very high regard for this young man," added Parcells. "He's an awesome kid. He's very bright. He has zero personal issues. He's a very dedicated, committed guy, and I think he's going to the absolute perfect place for him. They've got a great coach, a great organization, and they've got a great role model playing that he'll be able to observe and learn from. It just doesn't get any better than that."
Parcells, who roamed the New England sidelines from 1993-96, got a first-hand look at Brissett as a high school quarterback in Florida. Weis recruited Brissett at the University of Florida and coached him for one season, before he left for Kansas and Brissett transferred to NC State.
"I only got to coach him for one season, but I absolutely loved the kid as a player and a person," said Weis. "I couldn't be any happier that he ended up in New England."
Weis said Brissett will have no problem becoming a leader in the New England locker room.
"But let me tell you, this kid, from the time he was in high school, is like the Pied Piper," he said. "Going to his high school, they had several kids who were going to play Division 1 football, but he was the man. He played on an all-state basketball team, and while some went on to play Division 1 basketball, on that basketball team, he was still, the man. He was definitely the leader of the pack. In the quarterback position, I think that's a critical factor. And that's what he was."
Weis made sure to text current members of the Patriots after the pick, including the man Brissett will be backing up.
"I texted (Brady) and just told him a little bit about my relationship with the kid," Weis said. "I told him he'd fit in great with the Pats."
While Brady isn't going anywhere anytime soon (aside from that pesky four-game suspension to start the season), he will be 40 by next season, and Garoppolo is set to become a free agent after next season. Drafting Brissett, Weis believes, is part of Belichick's master plan to have "the next guy" at quarterback for when the time finally comes.
"The combination of those things, you always know the Patriots have to have a plan," he said. "Obviously, this was the plan."