2012 Pro Bowl Roster: AFC & NFC Analysis and Review

It's official: The 2012 Pro Bowl rosters are in.

The rosters were released Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on NFL Network, and here we have instant analysis and breakdown of both the AFC and the NFC rosters. 

With that being said, let's cut to the chase and jump right into the analysis of each conference's rosters—the players who were snubbed and the players who simply don't deserve a roster spot. 

AFC Offensive Players

Here are 2012 AFC offensive Pro Bowlers:

Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers.

Running backs: Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew and Arian Foster.

Fullback: Vonta Leach.

Wide receivers: Wes Welker, Mike Wallace, A.J. Green and Brandon Marshall.

Tight ends: Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates.

Tackles: Joe Thomas, Jake Long and D'Brickashaw Ferguson. 

Guards: Logan Mankins, Brian Waters and Marshal Yanda.

Centers: Maurkice Pouncey and Nick Mangold.

AFC Defensive Players

Here are the 2012 AFC defensive Pro Bowlers:

Defensive ends: Dwight Freeney, Andre Carter and Elvis Dumervil.

Interior linemen: Haloti Ngata, Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour.

Outside linebackers: Terrell Suggs, Von Miller and Tamba Hali.

Inside/middle linebacker: Ray Lewis and Derrick Johnson.

Cornerbacks: Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey and Johnathan Joseph.

Free safeties: Ed Reed and Eric Weddle.

Strong safety: Troy Polamalu.

AFC Special Teamers

Here are the 2012 AFC special team Pro Bowlers:

Punter: Shane Lechler.

Placekicker: Sebastian Janikowski.

Kick returner: Antonio Brown.

Special teamer: Matthew Slater.

NFC Offensive Players

Here 2012 NFC offensive Pro Bowlers:

Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Eli Manning.

Running backs: LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte and Frank Gore.

Fullback: John Kuhn.

Wide receivers: Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith and Greg Jennings.

Tight ends: Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez.

Tackles: Jason Peterson, Joe Staley and Jermon Bushrod.

Guards: Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks.

Centers: Ryan Kalil and Scott Wells.

NFC Defensive Players

Here are the 2012 NFC defensive Pro Bowlers:

Defensive ends: Jared Allen, Jason Babin and Jason Pierre-Paul.

Interior linemen: Justin Smith, Jay Ratliff and B.J. Raji.

Outside linebackers: DeMarcus Ware, Clay Matthews and Lance Briggs.

Inside/middle linebackers: Patrick Willis and Brian Urlacher.

Cornerbacks: Charles Woodson, Carlos Rogers and Charles Tillman.

Free safeties: Earl Thomas and Dashon Goldson.

Strong safety: Adrian Wilson.

NFC Special Teamers

Here are the 2012 NFC special team Pro Bowlers:

Punter: Andy Lee.

Placekicker: David Akers.

Kick returner: Patrick Peterson.

Special teamer: Corey Graham.

AFC Roster Snubs

Aaron Hernandez: I really thought that Aaron Hernandez was going to get some recognition. However, I do realize that he does play behind Rob Gronkowski, but he's used just as much as any starting tight end in the NFL today.

Hernandez has reeled in 72 passes for 772 yards and six touchdowns thus far in 2011. 

Andrew Whitworth: Not too many people across the NFL world are aware of how impressive Andrew Whitworth has been in 2011. The Cincinnati Bengals' starting offensive tackle has done a tremendous job at protecting rookie quarterback Andy Dalton.

Robert Mathis: How is Dwight Freeney on the list but Robert Mathis isn't?

Mathis is having a far better season than Freeney as he's accumulated nine sacks and two forced fumbles compared to Freeney's eight sacks and two forced fumbles.

LaMarr Woodley: To me, LaMarr Woodley is one of the elite linebackers in the NFL today. I realize that he has only played in 10 games this season but Woodley has racked up nine sacks and 26 tackles in those 10 games—that's pretty damn impressive.

Tim Tebow: Believe it or not, I strongly believe that Tim Tebow deserves to be on this list rather than Philip Rivers.

Tebow is playing quarterback in a much different way than anyone has in quite sometime. I realize that he has completed only 48 percent of his passes but he's been the biggest reason to the Denver Broncos' sudden run for a playoff spot. 

NFC Roster Snubs

Matthew Stafford: Eli Manning over Matthew Stafford? I don't think so.

Stafford has thrown for an incredible 4,518 yards while tossing 36 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions. Manning on the other hand has thrown 10 less touchdowns than Stafford and two more interceptions. 

This doesn't make sense to me.

Victor Cruz: I realize that Victor Cruz isn't a well-rounded wide receiver quite yet but he's still one productive player.

The New York Giants' deep threat has caught 76 balls for a whopping 1,358 yards and eight touchdowns.

Jordy Nelson: Like Victor Cruz, Jordy Nelson isn't necessarily the most well-rounded wide receiver but he's still been extremely productive thus far in 2011.

Nelson has recorded 59 receptions for 1,101 yards while scoring an incredible 12 touchdowns.

Chris Snee: You cannot leave Chris Snee off of the list. He's arguably the best offensive guard in the entire NFL.

NaVorro Bowman: The second-year linebacker out of Penn State needs to be on here. 

NaVorro Bowman has been extremely productive while playing alongside Patrick Willis as he's accumulated a whopping 133 tackles. 

Players Who Don't Deserve It

Ray Lewis: The only reason why Ray Lewis makes it to the Pro Bowl is because of his reputation. 

Lewis has played in only 11 games this season while recording 88 tackles.

Eli Manning: At times, Eli Manning has played at an elite level—but when he's not playing his best, he's been pretty damn pathetic.

Manning has thrown 16 interceptions this season compared to his 26 touchdowns while completing only 60.3 percent of his passes. 

His numbers aren't bad but they are far from being great. 

Final Thoughts

Overall I really like the selections made for the 2012 Pro Bowl as I don't feel like there were too many snubs this season. 

However one of the things that I really think is laughable is that the Philadelphia Eagles, or better known as the "Dream Team," had only three selections: LeSean McCoy, Jason Babin and Jason Peters. Where's Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel? Philly believed that they had two Pro Bowlers, potentially three with Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, entering 2011. On another note, what about Michael VIck? Talk about a waste of money. 

The two most impressive teams in regards to Pro Bowl selections are the New Englnad Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers, as they had eight selections. 

There's going to be some nit-picking here and there, but overall I really believe that the 2011 Pro Bowl may be watchable this season—unlike other years, or maybe not.