2018-pro-bowl-rosters-announced-who-got-snubbed

2018 Pro Bowl Rosters Announced: Who Got Snubbed?

Players selected to the Pro Bowl were announced Tuesday evening, which is the only part that matters. Not the actual game that will eventually be played by the MVP of your family’s Turkey Day Thanksgiving game. It’s hardly a secret that an All-Star game occurring on a date in which Super Bowl participants are ineligible is a total sham.

But the players named are important. No, not because players receive Pro Bowl bonuses. The Pro Bowl roster gives us a bird’s eye of the best in the game or at least what is deemed the best by a weird three-way split between players, coaches and fans. The full roster is below but first a few quick thoughts…

Jags corners Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye were not only named to the Pro Bowl but they were rightfully pegged as the starters. The free agent signing of Bouye last offseason has keyed the Jags ‘ incredible turnaround. I wasn’t sure how Bouye’s presence would impact the young and sometimes temperamental Ramsey but in every way it’s made him better. These two make the best corner tandem in recent memory.

Chiefs QB Alex Smith got snubbed, deserving the spot that was handed to Philip Rivers. Smith was spectacular in the early season, making higher degree of difficulty throws and successfully scrambling at will. While he had a mini slump and ridiculous calls for Patrick Mahomes were actually a thing he’s come back to life in recent weeks. All told Smith has a higher passer rating than Rivers by ten points, has impressively gained 342 ballsy yards on the ground, and has the Chiefs controlling their own destiny for a playoff berth.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith also feels like a snub. A back-to-back Pro Bowler, Smith is having his best season under Mike Zimmer.

Interesting that Travis Kelce was named a starter over Rob Gronkowski when Gronk has the superior numbers. Kelce’s a great player but Gronk’s a gamechanger. If his cheap shot post-whistle blow to Bills safety Tre’Davious White resulted in a two-game suspension instead of one, no way the Patriots beat the Steelers last Sunday.

Not sure I fully appreciated Larry Fitzgerald’s season before seeing his name in the Pro Bowl marquee. He’s made a pocket of spectacular catches this season but surely there has to be more statistically impressive wideouts. Wrong. Fitzgerald’s 962 receiving yards put him third among NFC receivers. I would have like to see Davante Adams in this receiver group given his whopping 10 touchdowns catches, most of which were not thrown by Aaron Rodgers.

24 players are first-time Pro Bowl selections. The changing of the guard is real.

Browns LT Joe Thomas failed to make the list for the first time in a decade. But he’s too busy pining to be the owner of the suddenly vacant Panthers.

The Pro Bowl needs to be scrapped and turned into a skills competition.

2018 PRO BOWL PLAYERS BY POSITION

(*First-time Pro Bowl selection; Bold/Italic: Starter)

AFC

OFFENSE (21)

  QUARTERBACKS (3)   TIGHT ENDS (2)
  Tom Brady, New England   Rob Gronkowski, New England
  Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Travis Kelce, Kansas City
  Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers  
    TACKLES (3)
  WIDE RECEIVERS (4)   Taylor Lewan, Tennessee
* Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers   Donald Penn, Oakland
  Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh * Alejandro Villanueva, Pittsburgh
  A.J. Green, Cincinnati  
  DeAndre Hopkins, Houston   GUARDS (3)
    David DeCastro, Pittsburgh
  RUNNING BACKS (3)   Richie Incognito, Buffalo
  Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh   Kelechi Osemele, Oakland
* Kareem Hunt, Kansas City  
  LeSean McCoy, Buffalo   CENTERS (2)
  Rodney Hudson, Oakland
  FULLBACK (1)   Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh
* James Develin, New England  

 

DEFENSE (18)

  DEFENSIVE ENDS (3)   INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (2)
* Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers   C.J. Mosley, Baltimore
  Calais Campbell, Jacksonville   Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh
  Khalil Mack, Oakland  
    CORNERBACKS (4)
  INTERIOR LINEMEN (3) * A.J. Bouye, Jacksonville
  Geno Atkins, Cincinnati   Casey Hayward, Los Angeles Chargers
  Jurrell Casey, Tennessee * Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville
* Malik Jackson, Jacksonville   Aqib Talib, Denver
   
  OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (3)   FREE SAFETY (1)
  Jadeveon Clowney, Houston   Eric Weddle, Baltimore
  Von Miller, Denver  
  Terrell Suggs, Baltimore   STRONG SAFETIES (2)
  * Micah Hyde, Buffalo
    Reshad Jones, Miami

 

SPECIALISTS (4)

  PUNTER (1)   RETURN SPECIALIST (1)
* Brett Kern, Tennessee   Tyreek Hill, Kansas City
   
  PLACEKICKER (1)   SPECIAL TEAMER (1)
* Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh   Matthew Slater, New England

NFC

OFFENSE (21)

  QUARTERBACKS (3)   TIGHT ENDS (2)
  Drew Brees, New Orleans * Zach Ertz, Philadelphia
* Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Jimmy Graham, Seattle
  Russell Wilson, Seattle  
    TACKLES (3)
  WIDE RECEIVERS (4) * Lane Johnson, Philadelphia
  Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona   Tyron Smith, Dallas
  Julio Jones, Atlanta   Trent Williams, Washington
* Adam Thielen, Minnesota  
* Michael Thomas, New Orleans   GUARDS (3)
  * Brandon Brooks, Philadelphia
  RUNNING BACKS (3)   Zack Martin, Dallas
  Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams   Brandon Scherff, Washington
  Mark Ingram, New Orleans  
* Alvin Kamara, New Orleans   CENTERS (2)
    Travis Frederick, Dallas
  FULLBACK (1)   Alex Mack, Atlanta
  Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco  

 

DEFENSE (18)

  DEFENSIVE ENDS (3)   INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (2)
  Everson Griffen, Minnesota   Luke Kuechly, Carolina
  Cameron Jordan, New Orleans   Bobby Wagner, Seattle
* Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas  
    CORNERBACKS (4)
  INTERIOR LINEMEN (3) * Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans
  Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia   Patrick Peterson, Arizona
  Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams   Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota
  Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay * Darius Slay, Detroit
   
  OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (3)   FREE SAFETY (1)
  Anthony Barr, Minnesota   Earl Thomas, Seattle
  Chandler Jones, Arizona    
  Ryan Kerrigan, Washington   STRONG SAFETIES (2)
    Landon Collins, New York Giants
    Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia

 

SPECIALISTS (4)

  PUNTER (1)   RETURN SPECIALIST (1)
  Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Rams * Pharoh Cooper, Los Angeles Rams
   
  PLACEKICKER (1)   SPECIAL TEAMER (1)
* Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams * Budda Baker, Arizona