Parcells reveals Jerry Jones lobbied for DeMarcus Ware during 2005 draft

If it were up to Bill Parcells, the trajectory of DeMarcus Ware's career could've been completely different.

Parcells coached the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-2006, the final head coaching position of his career before becoming an executive for the Miami Dolphins.

The Hall of Fame head coach recounted that were it solely up to him, the Cowboys would've passed on selecting Ware in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

"DeMarcus was a defensive end at Troy," Parcells said to Peter King of The MMQB. "We were going to make him a linebacker. I'm not crazy about projections picked that high in the first round. I would rather have taken a lineman. But Jerry and them wanted to take him. Thank God they did."

Ware was named to nine Pro Bowls over the course of his career, with the first seven selections occurring during his tenure with the Cowboys. The 34-year-old racked up 138.5 sacks, good for eighth on the all-time list.

The outside linebacker announced his retirement on March 13. It's safe to say that Parcells would've harbored many regrets had he stuck to his instinct on draft night nearly 12 years ago.