Rookie-Sophomore Game: NFL Should Follow NBA's Example

The NBA All-Star Game has expanded over many years from a single game into multiple events, making it more interesting for players—mainly because it's easier to be involved, and more fun for fans.

The NFL Pro Bowl, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.

The Pro Bowl has become an event that no one bothers to watch because a lot of players won't even bother to show up to it. Being invited to the event is now like being invited to that birthday party for a co-worker you don't really like.

So, how can the NFL draw more players and fans alike to its Pro Bowl game?

Simple: turn it into a Pro Bowl weekend.

Now, this is not to say that the NFL should add a skills challenge, celebrity All-Star game, and everything the NBA has in one year. But adding some of those events one at a time couldn't hurt.

I say start with the easiest one: the Rookie Challenge (aka the Rookie-Sophomore Game).

It makes perfect sense. Rookies and sophomores are still eager to play as much as possible and would be chomping at the bit to even be included in the Pro Bowl activities, unlike some veterans who have started to sour at the idea.

NFL fans would also love this, because it would give us a game where we could watch players who still have a terrific passion playing their hearts out in Honolulu, instead of watching the typical lackadaisical performance usually put on by the NFL's best players.

Honestly, who wouldn't like to see rookie phenoms like Matt Forte and Chris Johnson go up against stud sophomores like Patrick Willis and Jon Beason?

More teams would be involved, more players would be involved, and, most importantly, more fans would tune in.

So, with that idea in mind, I couldn't help but make up my rosters for the hypothetical 2009 NFL Rookie-Sophomore Game.

I'll use the same number of players for each position that the Pro Bowl uses for each conference team, unless a position does not have enough active players to put on the team (I'll put an asterisk by any position which qualifies).

Enjoy!

Rookies

QBs*—Matt Ryan/Falcons, Joe Flacco/Ravens

RBs—Chris Johnson/Titans, Matt Forte/Bears, Steve Slaton/Texans

FB—Peyton Hillis/Broncos

WRs—Eddie Royal/Broncos, DeSean Jackson/ Eagles, Donnie Avery/Rams, Davone Bess/Dolphins

TEs—Dustin Keller/Jets, John Carlson/Seahawks

C*—Jamey Richard/Colts

Gs—Chilo Rachal/49ers, Mike Pollak/Colts, Jeremy Zuttah/Bucs

Ts—Jake Long/Dolphins, Ryan Clady/Broncos, Branden Albert/Chiefs

DEs—Chris Long/Rams, Lawrence Jackson/Seahawks, Kendall Langford/Dolphins

DTs—Eric Foster/Colts, Glenn Dorsey/Chiefs, Pat Sims/Bengals

OLBs—Wesley Woodyard/Broncos, Xavier Adibi/Texans, Gary Guyton/Patriots

ILBs—Jerod Mayo/Patriots, Curtis Lofton/Falcons

CBs—Aqib Talib/Bucs, Brandon Flowers/Chiefs, Brandon Carr/Chiefs

SS—Chris Horton/Redskins

FS—Charles Godfrey/Panthers

K—Garrett Hartley/Saints

P—Brett Kern/Broncos

KR—Leodis McKelvin/Bills

Sophomores:

QBs—Trent Edwards/Bills, Tyler Thigpen/Chiefs, JaMarcus Russell/Raiders

RBs—Adrian Peterson/Vikings, Marshawn Lynch/Bills, Pierre Thomas/Saints

FB—Le'Ron McClain/Ravens

WRs—Calvin Johnson/Lions, Steve Breaston/Cardinals, Dwayne Bowe/Chiefs, Ted Ginn/Dolphins

TEs—Zach Miller/Raiders, Kevin Boss/Giants

Cs—Samson Satele/Dolphins, Ryan Kalil/Panthers

Gs—Justin Blalock/Falcons, Ben Grubbs/Ravens, Arron Sears/Bucs

Ts—Joe Thomas/Browns, Tony Ugoh/Colts, Levi Brown/Cardinals

DEs—Gaines Adams/Bucs, Greg White/Bucs, Jay Richardson/Raiders

DTs—Keyunta Dawson/Colts, Brandon Mebane/Seahawks, Tank Tyler/Chiefs

OLBs—Clint Session/Colts, LaMarr Woodley/Steelers, Justin Durant/Jaguars

ILBs—Patrick Willis/49ers, Jon Beason/Panthers

CBs—Tramon Williams/Packers, Darrelle Revis/Jets, Corey Graham/Bears

SS—Kevin Payne/Bears

FS—Michael Griffin/Titans

K—Nick Folk/Cowboys

P—Brandon Fields/Dolphins

KR—Josh Wilson/Seahawks

Now come on, wouldn't it be fun to watch those two teams go at it?

The NFL should follow the example the NBA set and add some events to its Pro Bowl weekend, starting with the Rookie-Sophomore game.