NFL Pro Bowl rosters announced

The NFL today announced the selections for the 2014 Pro Bowl that will be played prior to the Super Bowl on Sunday, January 26, 2014, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The game features a significantly revised format, as the Pro Bowl will be “unconferenced” for the first time.

Gone is the familiar AFC versus NFC match-up that has existed since 1971. Instead, players were selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players.

Each group’s vote counted one-third toward determining the 86 Pro Bowl selections. Two additional “need” players will be chosen by each head coach and must be long snappers.

As part of the new format, players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft, which will air on Wednesday, January 22 on NFL Network. Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders will serve as alumni team captains for their Pro Bowl squads and will have the final say over draft decisions.

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers placed a league-best eight players each in the Pro Bowl.

The AFC had 44 different players named All Stars – Pittsburgh’s Brown was selected at two positions.  The NFC had 41 players honored.

Kansas City leads the NFL with five defensive players selected (S Berry, CB Flowers, LB Hali, LB Houston, DT Poe). Four teams tie for the most offensive players chosen with four: Cleveland (TE Cameron, WR Gordon, C Mack, T Thomas), Denver (QB Manning, WR D. Thomas, TE J. Thomas, G Vasquez), New Orleans (QB Brees, G Evans, TE Graham, G Grubbs), and San Francisco (TE Davis, RB Gore, G Iupati, T Staley).

The 2014 Pro Bowl coaching staffs will be from the losing teams in the AFC and NFC Divisional playoffs with the best regular-season record.

Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $53,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $26,000.

Here is the list of Pro Bowl selections below:

OFFENSE (42)

Tom Brady, New England
Jordan Cameron, Cleveland
Drew Brees, New Orleans
Vernon Davis, San Francisco
Peyton Manning, Denver
Jimmy Graham, New Orleans
Cam Newton, Carolina
Julius Thomas, Denver
Philip Rivers, San Diego
Russell Wilson, Seattle
Branden Albert, Kansas City
Jason Peters, Philadelphia
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
Tyron Smith, Dallas
Dez Bryant, Dallas
Joe Staley, San Francisco
Josh Gordon, Cleveland
Joe Thomas, Cleveland
A.J. Green, Cincinnati
Trent Williams, Washington
Andre Johnson, Houston
Calvin Johnson, Detroit
Brandon Marshall, Chicago
Jahri Evans, New Orleans
Demaryius Thomas, Denver
Ben Grubbs, New Orleans
Mike Iupati, San Francisco
Logan Mankins, New England
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
Louis Vasquez, Denver
Matt Forté, Chicago
Marshal Yanda, Baltimore
Frank Gore, San Francisco
Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
Ryan Kalil, Carolina
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
Alex Mack, Cleveland
Mike Pouncey, Miami
Max Unger, Seattle
Marcel Reece, Oakland
Mike Tolbert, Carolina

DEFENSE (36)

Greg Hardy, Carolina
NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco
Cameron Jordan, New Orleans
Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati
Robert Quinn, St. Louis
Luke Kuechly, Carolina
Cameron Wake, Miami
Patrick Willis, San Francisco
J.J. Watt, Houston
Mario Williams, Buffalo
CORNERBACKS (8)
Brandon Flowers, Kansas City
Brent Grimes, Miami
Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay
Joe Haden, Cleveland
Haloti Ngata, Baltimore
Patrick Peterson, Arizona
Dontari Poe, Kansas City
Darrelle Revis, Tampa Bay
Justin Smith, San Francisco
Richard Sherman, Seattle
Ndamukong Suh, Detroit
Aqib Talib, New England
Kyle Williams, Buffalo
Alterraun Verner, Tennessee
John Abraham, Arizona
Jairus Byrd, Buffalo
Ahmad Brooks, San Francisco
Earl Thomas, Seattle
Tamba Hali, Kansas City
Eric Weddle, San Diego
Justin Houston, Kansas City
Robert Mathis, Indianapolis
Terrell Suggs, Baltimore
Eric Berry, Kanas City
Kam Chancellor, Seattle
Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh

SPECIALISTS (8)

Brandon Fields, Miami
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
Johnny Hekker, St. Louis
Dexter McCluster, Kansas City
Matt Prater, Denver
Justin Bethel, Arizona
Justin Tucker, Baltimore
Matthew Slater, New England

By Staff of The Daily Sports Herald and news services