What Patriots players SHOULD be in the Pro Bowl

This is the year of the new Pro Bowl! Who is excited!? This guy!
Photo via bizjournals.com
Actually I am, I think it’ll be interesting to see how the new pro bowl works for the NFL. This year, instead of AFC vs. NFC, the fans vote for the pro bowl roster, and then team captains get to pick their players from all the voted pro bowlers. I think it could be pretty cool to see Brady throwing to Megatron, or Manning and AP in the same backfield.

The Pro Bowl roster is being announced tomorrow, so I figured we should take a look at Patriots players who should make the pro bowl roster this year.

Tom Brady
Stats: 4,221 yards 24 TDs 10 INTS
Obviously Brady will be a pro bowler and he headlines my list. Brady is putting together another amazing season, one that could be his best given the lack of all star talent surrounding him for most of the season.

Julian Edelman
Stats: 96 receptions 991 yards 6 TDs
Edelman has quickly become Brady’s favorite target and has started to become a house hold name in the NFL. I would love to see both Megatron and Minitron catching balls from Brady during the Pro Bowl game, that would be awesome! Plus Edelman is also one of the better punt returns in the NFL, averaging 11 yards a return this season.

Logan Mankins
Mankins has been a year in year out Pro Bowler and this year should be no different. His recent shift to LT should only better his case. He has been a solid player on an otherwise turbulent O-line.

Chandler Jones
Stats: 75 tackles 11.5 sacks 1 forced fumble
Chandler has been a beast this season. All of Patriots Nation was hoping going into this year that he would take the next step, and he certainly has. He is constantly in the backfield, pressuring quarterbacks and has been all over the field making plays. This guy is a keeper.

Rob Ninkovich
Stats: 86 tackles 7.0 sacks 2 forced fumbles
Jones’ partner off the edge has also been producing a stellar season. Ninkovich constantly makes the big plays when the Patriots need it and has been terrific at running down plays from behind and making the tackle.

Aqib Talib
Stats: 37 tackles 1 forced fumble 4 INTs
Talib, when healthy, has been the definition of a shutdown corner. His first six weeks of the season were amazing, and had it not been for injuries, he would easily make the Pro Bowl. As it is, I wouldn’t rule him out.

Devin McCourty
Stats: 69 tackles 2 forced fumbles 1 INT
McCourty isn’t always the flashiest safety, but he is consistent and rarely gives up the big play. His game against the Ravens was one of the better games I had seen from him for a while, until he got hit hard in the head.

Stephen Gostkowski
Stats: 37 attempts 34 made 54 long
Gostkowski, after possibly being cut in the preseason, has come out and played fantastically. He has only missed 3 field goals all season and the the majority of ones he has made have been long, clutch kicks.

Ryan Allen
Stats: 74 punts 45.8 AVG 65 long 28 in 20
Looks like Bill made the right decision. Ryan Allen has been terrific his rookie year and has been one of the better punters in the NFL this season.

Matthew Slater
Slater is one of the best, if not the best, special teamer in the NFL. His play against the Ravens on Sunday night let everyone see the kind of effort and work Slater does every night.

Honorable Mentions:

LeGarrette Blount
Stats: 621 yards 4.5 AVG 5 TDs

Chris Jones
Stats: 50 tackles 5 sacks

Logan Ryan
Stats: 30 tackles 1.5 sacks 5 INTs

We’ll see tomorrow how correct I am on my picks, but needless to say, there have been a lot of players who are playing extremely well for the Patriots, and this is the perfect time to have everyone playing their best.

- Pete Rogers
@ftcsports
@petahrahgas