Pro Bowl Roster 2012: Cam Newton Will Be Denied by Other Stellar NFC Arms

The votes are in and the wave of adulation has been tallied. What is certain is that some very great athletes will be ignored, including Cam Newton. 

This is an odd season in which a rookie has been no less than spectacular yet has taken a backseat to Tim Tebow in the adulation of the nation. 

Cam Newton has put together a season that has him almost guaranteed to pass 20 touchdowns and 4,000 yards. Yet the only thing you will remember about the Panthers' season is that they were horrendous on defense. 

Newton's magical season has been buried under a mountain of Tebow hype and will only get more shoveled under his mystique when the Pro Bowl rosters are announced tonight. 

The simple fact is that there are just too many great quarterbacks in the NFC. Had Newton played for an AFC squad, there might be hope, as Andy Dalton could actually squeeze into the mix for the Bengals. 

There is simply no more room for a star quarterback no matter how divine his rookie campaign was. Two of the three spots will have to go to Aaron Rodgers, who has been near-perfect in 2011, and Drew Brees, who has been just as good. 

That leaves my final nod to Eli Manning, who has been just as underrated as anyone this season. So, when the rosters are announced tonight, Newton will be left out, but there is hope. 

Watching the Saints destroy the Falcons on Monday night, I became convinced that either New Orleans or Green Bay will be headed to the Super Bowl. 

There is no doubt that Newton will then get the call out of the bullpen for what will be the first of many Pro Bowl appearances. If not, there is always next season. Which I am confident will be even better for Cam Newton. 

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