In a season as turbulent as 2008 has been, it's hard to find positives in Green Bay. However, the NFL Pro Bowl rosters were released today, and two of your Packers have been chosen to take an island vacation and play in a game that no one will watch. Three cheers apiece for...
Charles Woodson! And Nick Collins!
Both Woodson and Collins are Pro Bowl starters, and deservedly so. But why talk about Woodson's stats (54 tackles, 14 passes defensed, 5 interceptions and 2 TD's), or Collins' stats (65 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 5 interceptions and 3 TD's), or how both were integral to Green Bay's early success against the pass, or how both played heroically through nagging injuries...when we can talk about the snubs!
Possible Snub #1: Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers has played great this year, no doubt about it. But his stats don't compare to that of the other NFC quarterbacks who made it (Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, and Eli Manning), and neither does his win total. Soon, young padawan, but not this year. Maybe when Warner retires and Eli Manning goes back to being Eli Manning.
Possible Snub #2: Greg Jennings
Now here's a guy you can make a case for. Jennings had a scorching hot start to the season through the first six weeks, then started to cool off just in time for Pro Bowl voting to open. Still, Jennings is 5th in the NFC in yards and touchdowns...but compared to the seasons enjoyed by Steve Smith (the good one), Roddy White, and the Arizona Duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, it's hard to put Jennings in one of those spots. The only player I would consider bumping is Steve Smith, and I would totally replace him with...Calvin Johnson. Seriously, Megatron deserved the Pro Bowl more than anyone; putting up the numbers he did on the team he was on is a monumental feat and it's a tragedy he didn't make the cut.
Possible Snub #3: Ryan Grant
No. No, no, no, a thousand times, no. Grant may be 9th in the league in rushing yards, but he has been so underwhelming this season (3.9 ypc on 268 carries), there's no way he deserves to make the Pro Bowl over Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, and Clinton Portis. The only possible "snub" in the NFC at this position is DeAngelo Williams, and he didn't really turn it on until a few weeks ago.
Possible Snub #4: Aaron Kampman
Kampman had a good year this year. Not great, but good. He'll probably eclipse 10 sacks in the next two weeks, which should be his floor in terms of production. However, Justin Tuck, Julius Peppers, and Jared Allen had great years, and deserve to make the trip. How John Abraham didn't make the squad, I will never know. He even fits the odd 2008 Pro Bowl requirement for all NFC DE's to have a first name that start with the letter 'J'!
Possible Snub #5: ?
Is there anyone else on this Packer team that deserves a look? If there is, I can't think of them.