Snubbed

Snubbed is a kinda funny word.

I doubt that the word is ever heard more often than the day after the NFL announces the players voted to the Pro Bowl. That's today.

Running back Adrian Peterson was the only Minnesota Vikings player that made the team. That's great. That's one more than last year. It wasn't enough this year. Safety Harrison Smith, defensive tackle Linval Joseph, and linebacker Anthony Barr should have made the team. A strong case can be made that kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson should be on it as well.

It's been said that players make their first Pro Bowl the year after they deserve it. That's to say that it takes a year of Pro Bowl-level play for a player to enter the thoughts of the fans, players, and coaches that do the voting. A player has to establish his reputation. Well, if that's the case Harrison Smith should have made his first Pro Bowl last year. His rookie year of 2012 introduced him as worthy of future Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition. He'll probably be named All-Pro this year despite his Pro Bowl snub. Smith was listed as a free safety on the Pro Bowl but he really plays a bit of both. Perhaps that's what hurt him in the voting. The fact that only three free safeties and three strong safeties presents a problem. How do they intend to split three players between two teams. I suppose that all six safeties will be grouped together. Then why separate them on the ballot? It's difficult to argue the three free safeties that made it. Earl Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks, Tyrann Mathieu of the Arizona Cardinals, and Reggie Nelson of the Cincinnati Bengals. Personally, I'd have Harrison Smith ahead of Nelson, Thomas too, but there's little debate that both Thomas and Nelson are deserving. The strong safety field is mostly heart-warming but shaky. Kam Chancellor of the Seahawks made it on reputation. He missed the first two games due to his holdout for more money and then took a while to get up to speed. His absence and gradual return to form was a big reason for his team's slow start. That's hardly Pro Bowl material. The other two strong safeties are incredible stories. Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders has announced that this will be the last season of his wonderful career. If for no other reason he deserves the Pro Bowl for that. Then there's Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs. He beat cancer. He's also played like like he hasn't been away at all. There's room for Harrison Smith on this team. Mathieu probably deserves postseason honors more than any other safety in the league. He deserves consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. So, it's unfortunate that he's the one safety selected that won't be part of the Pro Bowl. He tore his ACL at the end of Sunday's game. Perhaps his absence will open the door for Smith's first Pro Bowl appearance.

Linval Joseph has been one of the best defensive tackles in the league. There was a month-long stretch in the middle when he was probably the best. His absence was even more startling than that of Harrison Smith. There's a wonderful surplus of terrific defensive tackles in the NFL these days. Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams, Geno Atkins of the Cincinnati Bengals, Gerald McCoy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Fletcher Cox of the Philadelphia Eagles to name four. Each made the Pro Bowl and deserve the recognition. None plays the run-stopper, block-eater, space-taker role of Joseph. Calais Campbell made it and deserves it but he made it as a defensive tackle when he's more of a combo end/tackle. Kawann Short of the Carolina Panthers made his first Pro Bowl. He plays the position more like Joseph. It's debatable as to which played it better.

In about 24 games Anthony Barr has become one of the best outside linebackers in the league. Unlike most of the outside linebackers that made the Pro Bowl he does much more than rush the passer. He does everything. And he does everything extremely well. He'll be a Pro Bowl regular. It should have started this year.

Cordarrelle Patterson is leading the league in kick returns. He's taken two back for touchdowns. He's probably been the best kick returner in the league since his rookie season of 2013. The unfortunate thing is that kick returns are no longer part of the Pro Bowl. That doesn't impact the voting but it should be noted that the Pro Bowl returners are best known for their punt returns. Which are still part of the game. Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks and Darren Sproles of the Philadelphia Eagles.

There will always be Pro Bowl snubs because there are so many great players in the NFL. It's easy to belly-ache about snubs. It's not so easy to pick a player or players that shouldn't have made the team. Those that make the Pro Bowl are nearly always deserving.

With the current postseason schedule every player would prefer to play in the game that's played the week after the Pro Bowl. They'd rather skip this All-Star scrimmage and play in the Super Bowl.