Pro Bowl 2012: Players Who Are Riding Their Reputations to Hawaii

You know what the best part about the Pro Bowl is?

Sadly, the best part about the Pro Bowl is arguing over which players deserved to go. The game itself is the definition of the word "meh."

Concerning the arguing part, one thing that never gets old is arguing about which players have been voted to the Pro Bowl simply because of who they are. When it comes to the selection process, production counts for a lot, but star power counts for even more.

To give you an idea, I'll talk about five players in particular who are only going to Hawaii because their reputations precede them.

5. B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers

B.J. Raji's selection to the 2012 Pro Bowl is the football equivalent of sympathy vote. Truth be told, Raji didn't do enough to warrant a trip to the Pro Bowl this year.

He should have gone to the Pro Bowl last year. He posted much better numbers (39 tackles, 6.5 sacks), and was generally more disruptive on a weekly basis than he has been in 2011. Teams still have to be mindful of him, but he just hasn't been much of a difference-maker.

The reason Raji is going to this game is he is known as being one of the very best nose tackles in the NFL, a reputation that has a lot to do with the exposure he earned during Green Bay's run to the Super Bowl last season.

Don't get me wrong, Raji is definitely a good player, and this likely won't be his last Pro Bowl. 

In fact, this probably won't even be his first. Something tells me he's not going to be available to play.

4. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

I've got nothing but love for Antonio Gates, but his career is on its way down. He can't stay healthy, and he wasn't as much of a threat in 2011 as he has been in years past.

To be sure, Gates has put together some respectable numbers (59 receptions, 672 yards, six touchdowns). But so did Aaron Hernandez and Dustin Keller, and I think both of them deserve to go to Hawaii over Gates.

Gates is going because he is widely recognized as one of the best tight ends not just in recent NFL history, but of all time. 

Since his career is winding down, I guess we can honor him one last time, assuming this is the last time, of course.

3. Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos

I actually find it to be pretty remarkable that Champ Bailey is still as good as he is, as he's just not as young as he once was.

Bailey also isn't as dominant as he once was. He can still hang with the majority of the receivers he comes across, but there are a couple cornerbacks in the AFC who had better years than Bailey.

The foremost of the bunch would be Cleveland's Joe Haden, who is a key cog in the Browns' second-ranked pass defense. Kansas City's Brandon Flowers also had a good year, as he is tied with Darrelle Revis for the AFC lead with 19 passes deflected. He also had four picks.

It takes more than numbers to make a great cornerback, but they definitely help. And for what it's worth, Bailey's numbers were just okay this season. So was his performance.

2. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, New York Jets

Both Jake Long and D'Brickashaw Ferguson are lucky to be going to the Pro Bowl this season. But between the two of them, Ferguson is the more erroneous selection.

Put simply, Ferguson hasn't had a good season. He typically does a fine job of watching Mark Sanchez's blindside, but he underperformed against against the better pass rushers he had to face this season. He also didn't do a particularly good job in run blocking, which is reflected in the Jets' poor rushing numbers.

Ferguson's reputation suggests that he's among the best of the best in both run blocking and pass protection, and he has been rewarded for his efforts with a trip to the Pro Bowl in each of the last two years. That's why he's going this year too.

1. Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens

Ray Lewis will be headed to Canton the moment he retires, but he really has no business heading to Hawaii this year.

As great as Lewis is, his production was middle-of-the-road this season, which is thanks in large part to the time he missed with turf toe. He was certainly one of the better middle linebackers in the AFC, but he wasn't quite as effective as some other players who deserved to go.

Cleveland's D'Qwell Jackson is the most notable snub, and Brian Cushing also deserved some Pro Bowl love.

On the bright side, one or both of these guys will probably end up going anyway. I highly doubt Lewis will play in the Pro Bowl, even if he is available.