The Denver Broncos placed a league-best nine players in the Pro Bowl, which will be held prior to the Super Bowl for the sixth consecutive year and serve as the signature kickoff event of Super Bowl week.
For the second consecutive season, the Pro Bowl will be “unconferenced.” Gone is the familiar AFC vs. NFC match-up that had existed since 1971. Instead, players were selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players.
The Pro Bowl players were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counted one-third toward determining the 86 Pro Bowl selections announced today. Two additional “need” players will be chosen by each head coach and must be long snappers. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches, and players to determine its all-star teams. In 1995, the NFL became the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting.
Players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft, which will air on Wednesday, January 21 on NFL Network (8:00 PM ET).
Pro Football Hall of Famers CRIS CARTER and MICHAEL IRVIN will serve as alumni team captains for their Pro Bowl squads – Team Carter and Team Irvin – and have final say over draft decisions. Pro Football Hall of Famers JOHN RANDLE (Team Carter) and DARREN WOODSON (Team Irvin) will serve as defensive co-captains. The NFL legends will also each be assisted by two active player captains and one NFL.com fantasy football champion in the draft process.
The six quarterbacks selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl are New England’s TOM BRADY (10th Pro Bowl selection), Indianapolis’ ANDREW LUCK (3rd), Denver’s PEYTON MANNING (14th), Green Bay’s AARON RODGERS (4th), Pittsburgh’s BEN ROETHLISBERGER (3rd) and Dallas’ TONY ROMO (4th).
The six 2015 Pro Bowl running backs are LE’ VEON BELL of Pittsburgh (1st), JAMAAL CHARLES of Kansas City (4th), ARIAN FOSTER of Houston (4th), MARSHAWN LYNCH of Seattle (5th), LE SEAN MC COY of Philadelphia (3rd) and DE MARCO MURRAY of Dallas (2nd).
Completing the backfield at the fullback position are Green Bay’s JOHN KUHN (2nd) and Oakland’s MARCEL REECE (3rd).
The eight wide receivers selected as All-Stars are ANTONIO BROWN of Pittsburgh (3rd), DEZ BRYANT of Dallas (2nd), A.J. GREEN of Cincinnati (4th), T.Y. HILTON of Indianapolis (1st), CALVIN JOHNSON of Detroit (5th), JULIO JONES of Atlanta (2nd), JORDY NELSON of Green Bay (1st) and DEMARYIUS THOMAS of Denver (3rd).
The four tight ends for the 2015 Pro Bowl are New Orleans’ JIMMY GRAHAM (3rd), New England’s ROB GRONKOWSKI (3rd), Carolina’s GREG OLSEN (1st) and Denver’s JULIUS THOMAS (2nd).
On the offensive line, the six guards are JAHRI EVANS (6th) of New Orleans, MIKE IUPATI of San Francisco (3rd), KYLE LONG of Chicago (2nd), rookie ZACK MARTIN of Dallas (1st), JOSH SITTON of Green Bay (2nd) and MARSHAL YANDA of Baltimore (4th).
The four centers selected as All-Stars are Dallas’ TRAVIS FREDERICK (1st), Philadelphia’s JASON KELCE (1st), the New York Jets’ NICK MANGOLD (6th) and Pittsburgh’s MAURKICE POUNCEY (4th).
The six tackles are RYAN CLADY of Denver (4th), JASON PETERS of Philadelphia (7th), TYRON SMITH of Dallas (2nd), JOE STALEY of San Francisco (4th), JOE THOMAS of Cleveland (8th) and TRENT WILLIAMS of Washington (3rd).
On defense, the six defensive ends named to the 2015 Pro Bowl are Arizona’s CALAIS CAMPBELL (1st), St. Louis’ ROBERT QUINN (2nd), Miami’s CAMERON WAKE (4th), Denver’s DE MARCUS WARE (8th), Houston’s J.J. WATT (3rd) and Buffalo’s MARIO WILLIAMS (4th).
Completing the defensive line are interior linemen MARCELL DAREUS of Buffalo (2nd), rookie AARON DONALD of St. Louis (1st), GERALD MC COY of Tampa Bay (3rd), DONTARI POE of Kansas City (2nd), NDAMUKONG SUH of Detroit (4th) and KYLE WILLIAMS of Buffalo (4th).
The four inside linebackers for the 2015 Pro Bowl feature Carolina’s LUKE KUECHLY (2nd), Baltimore rookie C.J. MOSLEY (1st), Pittsburgh’s LAWRENCE TIMMONS (1st) and Seattle’s BOBBY WAGNER (1st).
The six outside linebackers selected as All-Stars include two Kansas City Chiefs in TAMBA HALI (4th) and JUSTIN HOUSTON (3rd). Joining them are Philadelphia’s CONNOR BARWIN (1st), Baltimore’s ELVIS DUMERVIL (4th), Green Bay’s CLAY MATTHEWS (5th) and Denver’s VON MILLER (3rd).
Eight cornerbacks were named to the 2015 Pro Bowl, including CHRIS HARRIS (1st) and AQIB TALIB (2nd) of Denver. They are joined by VONTAE DAVIS of Indianapolis (1st), BRENT GRIMES of Miami (3rd), JOE HADEN of Cleveland (2nd), PATRICK PETERSON of Arizona (4th), DARRELLE REVIS of New England (6th) and RICHARD SHERMAN of Seattle (2nd).
The secondary is completed by four free safeties and two strong safeties. The free safeties are Cleveland’s TASHAUN GIPSON (1st), Detroit’s GLOVER QUIN (1st), Seattle’s EARL THOMAS (4th) and San Diego’s ERIC WEDDLE (3rd). The All-Stars at strong safety are Seattle’s KAM CHANCELLOR (3rd) and Denver’s T.J. WARD (2nd).
On special teams, the return specialists are Atlanta’s DEVIN HESTER (4th) and Philadelphia’s DARREN SPROLES (1st). The special teamers are JUSTIN BETHEL of Arizona (2nd) and MATTHEW SLATER of New England (4th). Cincinnati’s KEVIN HUBER (1st) and Indianapolis’ PAT MC AFEE (1st) are the Pro Bowl punters. STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI of New England (3rd) and ADAM VINATIERI of Indianapolis (3rd) will handle the kicking duties.
Twenty of the players named to the Pro Bowl today are first-time All-Stars, including three rookies. Indianapolis (CB Davis, WR Hilton, P McAfee) and Philadelphia (LB Barwin, C Kelce, RS Sproles) lead the way with three first-time Pro Bowl selections. Dallas (C Frederick, G Martin) and Pittsburgh (RB Bell, LB Timmons) each have two first-time Pro Bowl selections. Rounding out the first-time All-Stars are Arizona DE Campbell, Baltimore LB Mosley, Carolina TE Olsen, Cincinnati P Huber, Cleveland FS Gipson, Denver CB Harris, Detroit FS Quin, Green Bay WR Nelson, St. Louis DT Donald and Seattle LB Wagner.
The AFC had 46 different players named All-Stars and 40 NFC players were honored.
Twenty-eight teams had at least one player selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl and 22 clubs had multiple players chosen as All-Stars.
Denver leads the NFL with five defensive players selected (CB Harris, LB Miller, CB Talib, SS Ward, DE Ware). Dallas (WR Bryant, C Frederick, G Martin, RB Murray, QB Romo, T Tyron Smith) leads the NFL with the most offensive players chosen (six).
The 2015 Pro Bowl coaching staffs will be from the losing teams in the AFC and NFC Divisional playoffs with the best regular-season records.
Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $55,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $28,000.
By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services
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