Pro Bowl Draft 2015: Day 1 Rosters, Injury Replacements and Format
Following a surge of replacements, the pool of players for the 2015 Pro Bowl is finally set in stone. That's it. No more changes.
It's finally time for Cris Carter and Michael Irvin to get to work constructing their fantasy rosters. Two of the best wide receivers of all time have quite the task ahead of them. Argue all you want about the candidacy of some players, but there's no denying that a majority of the NFL's most deserving talent earned the honor of participating in a game that's enjoyable for the players.
Whether or not you enjoy it as a fan is another story. That said, the new fantasy format introduced last season incited more excitement than we've seen in recent years. The players have a little extra motivation to compete against guys they usually wouldn't, making for a fun time.
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There has already been plenty of smack talk between the two captains, via Kevin Zimmerman of Fox Sports Arizona: "We just did the coin flip and of course, like the rest of the week, I won," Irvin said.
The Day 1 picks are in for Team Carter and Team Irvin, so continue on to find out who was picked. You'll also find more on the format, as well as a comprehensive list of injury replacements.
Format
The first fantasy-style Pro Bowl happened last season. It featured captains selecting their own squads, breaking away from the traditional AFC vs. NFC clash. Carter and Irvin will lead the way in selecting their squads. Pro Bowl selections Antonio Brown, J.J. Watt, Joe Haden and DeMarco Murray will assist.
Not all that much has changed for this year's event in terms of the selection process. There are a few new rules in terms of gameplay, however.
Kickoffs are a thing of the past. The ball will start at the 25-yard line following each score. Because the ball will also change hands at the end of every quarter, that's where the ball will begin following the switch.
Another interesting rule is that the game clock will stop after a play in the final two minutes of a quarter if the offense fails to gain one yard. This is a direct result of the switching-after-every-quarter rule, as these stoppages will serve as timeouts for all intents and purposes.
For a comprehensive list of rules, check out NFL.com.
Injury Replacements
If it seems like more players than usual have been named to the Pro Bowl, it's probably because of the sheer number of replacements. Even a replacement player was replaced. You can find a full list below, courtesy of ESPN.com.
| Drew Brees (Saints) | QB | Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) |
| Matthew Stafford (Lions) | QB | Peyton Manning (Broncos) |
| Matt Ryan (Falcons) | QB | Tom Brady (Patriots) |
| Andy Dalton (Bengals) | QB | Aaron Rodgers (Packers) |
| Alfred Morris (Redskins) | RB | LeSean McCoy (Eagles) |
| Justin Forsett (Ravens) | RB | Arian Foster (Texans) |
| Mark Ingram (Saints) | RB | Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks) |
| Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants) | WR | Calvin Johnson (Lions) |
| Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos) | WR | Julio Jones (Falcons) |
| Golden Tate (Lions) | WR | Jeremy Maclin (Eagles), who replaced DeMaryius Thomas (Broncos) |
| Randall Cobb (Packers) | WR | Dez Bryant (Cowboys) |
| Evan Mathis (Eagles) | G | Jahri Evans (Saints) |
| Mike Pouncey (Dolphins) | G | Mike Iupati (49ers) |
| Martellus Bennett (Bears) | TE | Rob Gronkowski (Patriots) |
| Jason Witten (Cowboys) | TE | Julius Thomas (Broncos) |
| Sheldon Richardson (Jets) | DT | Gerald McCoy (Buccaneers) |
| D'Qwell Jackson (Colts) | LB | Bobby Wagner (Seahawks) |
| Antonio Cromartie (Cardinals) | CB | Richard Sherman (Seahawks) |
| Sam Shields (Packers) | CB | Darrelle Revis (Patriots) |
| Donte Whitner (Browns) | S | Tashaun Gipson (Browns) |
| Antoine Bethea (49ers) | S | Kam Chancellor (Seahawks) |
| Mike Adams (Colts) | S | Earl Thomas (Seahawks) |
| Cody Parkey (Eagles) | K | Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots) |
| Darrell Stuckey (Chargers) | Utility | Matthew Slater (Patriots) |
Day 1 Rosters
Day 1 of the Pro Bowl draft featured a pool of only interior linemen, special teamers and fullbacks. NFL.com released the full results, but you can find a breakdown in the table below:
| DT | Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams and Dontari Poe | Aaron Donald, Sheldon Richardson and Geno Atkins |
| G | Mike Pouncey, Josh Sitton and Evan Mathis | Zack Martin, Marshal Yanda and Kyle Long |
| C | Maurkice Pouncey and Jason Kelce | Travis Frederick and Nick Mangold |
| FB | John Kuhn | Marcel Reece |
| P | Pat McAfee | Kevin Huber |
| K | Cody Parkey | Adam Vinatieri |
| ST | Justin Bethel | Darrell Stuckey |
Murray and Haden were selected as Irvin's two captains, and it's clear that Murray had a hand in selecting members of the team. Rookie guard Zack Martin and veteran center Travis Frederick, two keys to Murray's success this season, will continue to block for him in the Pro Bowl. Irvin's connection to the Dallas Cowboys certainly influenced the picks as well.
Other notables for Team Irvin include young defensive linemen Aaron Donald, a rookie, and Sheldon Richardson, a second-year stud at defensive tackle. Donald burst onto the scene this season with the St. Louis Rams, so much so that Sports Illustrated's Aaron Nagler believes he'll be recognized for his efforts:
Another notable selection by Irvin is 42-year-old Adam Vinatieri. By playing in the AFC Championship Game, the kicker broke Jerry Rice's record for most postseason games played (30). He's also the oldest Pro Bowler this season.
Carter's captains, Watt and Brown, were the best at their respective positions this season. Carter went with more experience than Irvin, so it'll be interesting to see if that pays off. Kicker Cody Parkey is the only rookie Carter selected.
There are striking similarities between these two teams. Upon first glance, it's quite evident that both Irvin and Carter understand the importance of chemistry.
Irvin kept Martin, Frederick and Murray together. That's wise, considering Murray led the league in rushing with 1,845 yards.
Carter made several chemistry-based selections. Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus both play defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills. They combined for 15.5 sacks on the No. 4-ranked defense in the NFL. He also kept Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce together.
Josh Sitton and John Kuhn of the Green Bay Packers will also play for Team Carter. Even though Kuhn is a fullback, he and Sitton were integral parts of Green Bay's rushing attack this season. It's much easier to blend a few groups of linemen together to form chemistry than grouping five or six players from different teams together. This strategy should pay off nicely for Carter and the running backs he chooses.
Day 2 of the Pro Bowl draft will feature the more glorified positions on the field. It's fair to say that the two squads are pretty equal as things stand after Day 1. That will change after Day 2. Team alliances will be tested, as Irvin and Carter must choose between taking their favorite players rather than the best ones available.
Either way, the 2015 Pro Bowl will be exciting.
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn
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