Pro Bowl: Seven Most Undeserving Pro Bowlers

The NFL Pro Bowl teams were unveiled yesterday showing us which NFL stars stood above the rest and earned the right to play in Hawaii this year.

The name is littered with fantastic players at each position. Some of the best of the best made these teams as well as some of the emerging stars in the NFL.

However, with any All-Star team there will be questions as to why some players made it over others. There will always be those who were unjustly snubbed and those who sneak their way on to the roster. 

This year's Pro Bowl teams are no different.

Here are seven players that could have been left off this year's roster.

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers is maybe the most undeserving player of them all on this year's AFC roster.

Rivers is having one of the worst years of his career statistically. The San Diego Chargers have struggled all season long and Rivers inability to be the elite quarterback of the past few years is a major contributing factor.

Rivers has stilled managed to put up tons of yardage mostly due to the Chargers playing from behind in most of their games this year. He did throw 24 touchdowns but also threw a career high 19 interceptions. 

If San Diego had been able to put together a better record, I could see Rivers inclusion on the team. 

However, the combination of their struggles matched with his own makes him one of the most undeserving players on the AFC roster. 

Replacements: Ben Roethlisberger, Tim Tebow, Andy Dalton

Dwight Freeney

Dwight Freeney has been one of the best pass-rushing defensive ends over the past decade. 

Freeney has combined an explosive burst off the line with a dazzling spin move to give offensive lines and quarterbacks nightmares. He has been the face of the Colts defense for most of the past decade. 

However, like Philip Rivers, Freeney is having one of the worst years of his career. 

He is on pace to have the lowest tackle total of his career and is on pace to have under 10 sacks for only the third time in his career. Not to mention that his performance hasn't led the Colts to many victories this year as they have been one of the worst teams in the NFL.

It feels as if Freeney made the Pro Bowl roster simply because his name is Dwight Freeney. While his season isn't terrible, there were better choices out there.

Replacements: Robert Mathis, Jabaal Sheard

Greg Jennings

Greg Jennings had the fortune of playing with Aaron Rodgers this year, a luxury that most wide receivers would love to have.

Jennings put together a good season this year even after missing two games this year due to injuries. Unlike the previous two on this list, the Packers are one of the best teams in the NFC and Jennings year is more than respectable. 

Jennings spot on this list isn't so much to him being undeserving but rather how many better options there were available. 

He did tie for third in receiving touchdowns this year with nine, but was outside the top ten in both receptions and receiving yards. If he had been healthy enough to play a full season, his numbers may have been good enough to make me more comfortable with his spot on the NFC roster. 

Replacements: Jordy Nelson, Victor Cruz, Roddy White

Eli Manning

This one is a huge question mark for me.

Eli Manning is certainly having a nice season yardage wise, but he has only thrown 26 touchdowns while throwing 16 interceptions. That puts him sixth in the NFC in passing touchdowns.

The Giants playoffs hope come down to a Week 17 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Manning has certainly been a contributor to the Giants success. However, he hasn't carried them by any means.

There is no denying that Eli Manning has put together a solid season. Yet, I don't understand how other quarterbacks will simply better statistics were overlooked in favor of Manning. I'm not sure what flawed reasoning led to Manning ending up as a Pro Bowler, but several quarterbacks should be upset. 

Replacements: Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan

Ray Lewis

It is difficult to not be a Ray Lewis fan.

He has been one of the best linebackers in the league for his entire career and has brought an intensity and passion to the game that few others can match. Even if you are the truest of Pittsburgh Steelers fans, there is at least a level of respect you give to Ray Lewis.

Lewis is very familiar with making Pro Bowls as he has done it 12 times before. 

This year I feel his name and recognition had more to do with his selection to the team than his play on the field. 

Lewis missed four straight games from Week 11 to Week 14 this year. Even so, he still managed to find himself within the top 20 in tackles this year. He certainly would have been in the top 10 if not higher had he played a full season.

However, I don't remember the announcement that we were putting players on the Pro Bowl rosters based on their "on pace" or projected statistics. 

Lewis is still one of the elite linebackers in the league, but he just doesn't deserve the trip to Hawaii this year.

Replacements: Brian Cushing, D'Qwell Jackson, Nick Barnett

Adrian Wilson

Adrian Wilson is another defensive player that has been one of the league's best for several years.

He has earned respect around the league for his physical style of play and incredible athleticism. Wilson is the anchor on the Cardinals' defense and one of the best safeties in the league. 

However, his selection to the team this year surprises me. 

Wilson hasn't had a bad year, but he hasn't stood out from the pack. It is another case where I feel his name has more to do with his selection then his on the field play.

He is outside the top 10 for strong safeties in total tackles and interceptions. 

So what did Wilson do that set him apart from all of the names above him in those two categories? 

Not enough in my opinion.

Replacements: Kam Chancellor, Charlie Peprah, Roman Harper

Champ Bailey

Champ Bailey falls in to the same category as Ray Lewis and Adrian Wilson.

Bailey is no doubt one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He is most likely bound for Canton when his career is over. He is a guy that I would take on my favorite team in a heartbeat. 

However, his play this year hasn't earned him a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl roster.

Bailey's interceptions and tackle numbers can be deceiving as when you are as good as he is, often times teams opt to throw away from him. The opportunities for interceptions are limited once you've earned the level of respect Bailey has.

It all depends how you judge a cornerback. Do you assume that a starting corner with low stats is being avoided by offenses or have they not been making plays?

I believe that it is a somewhere it the middle. If Bailey had played a full season, his numbers may have justified the selection. 

Right now, there isn't enough there for me to say he deserves a spot let alone a starting spot.

Replacements: Vontae Davis, Brandon Flowers, Stanford Routt