The NFL just released its Pro Bowl roster for 2016. Honestly, not a bad job by the voters this year. In naming my Pro Bowl snubs, I do keep in mind that the Pro Bowl is not the All-Pro team. In other words, the Pro Bowl shouldn’t be a strict naming of the best players in the league for each position. The Pro Bowl is an All-Star team after all, and good players who had memorable seasons should be rewarded. However, problems arise when players who had bad seasons are voted in solely based on name recognition, or when lesser-known players who had big-time seasons are blatantly overlooked. With that said, here are this year’s Pro Bowl snubs.
Quarterbacks
Selections: Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson
The voting for quarterbacks was perfect in my opinion, though it is the easiest position to get right. Brady, Rodgers, Newton, Wilson, Palmer, and Roethlisberger: These are certainly the league’s top six. Somehow, Rodgers seems to be the small fish of the six.
Running Backs
Selections: Jonathan Stewart, Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Todd Gurley, Devonta Freeman, Doug Martin
Martin, Gurley, Freeman, Stewart—these guys all deserved to be rewarded in a weak running back year. As for LeSean McCoy, a case can be made for fellow division runner Chris Ivory. Some numbers:
Chris Ivory: 951 yards, 7 touchdowns
LeSean McCoy: 895 yards, 3 touchdowns
