https://www.metv.com/stories/jack-webb-planned-a-1980s-dragnet-reboot-right-before-he-died

Kent McCord from Adam-12 was supposed to co-star.

This doesn't surprise me in the least, Dragnet was Webb's signature series he was in his early 60's at the time so this was really his last chance to do anything with it (at least with him playing Joe Friday). I can't see the series (a half hour drama) fitting the needs of any of the networks at that time, so he probably was thinking of a syndication deal. With respect to McCord, the character of Reed already had a pretty well-defined personality, Friday's partners in the past have had over the top personalities that ranged into the comical relief area. With all due respect to McCord, I'm not sure he had that kind of range as an actor.