Five Dallas Cowboys named to Pro Bowl; Sean Lee snubbed!
Five Dallas Cowboys players were named to the NFL’s Pro Bowl roster. But who were the Cowboys players that were ignored?
As one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and with a current league-leading record of 12-2 (along with the New England Patriots), the Dallas Cowboys were expected be heavily involved when it came to this week’s announcement of the 2016 Pro Bowl roster. But in all, only five Cowboys players were named to the league’s all-star game. So, who got snubbed?
First, let’s recognize the five Cowboys players that received a Pro Bowl bid for this season. Those players are quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, center Travis Frederick, guard Zack Martin and tackle Tyron Smith.
As the two most talked about rookies in the league, as well as legitimate MVP candidates, it was no wonder that both Elliott and Prescott topped this list. Through 14 games, Dak has thrown for 3,418 yards, 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He’s also ran for six scores.
Elliott has rushed for a league-leading 1,551 yards and 13 touchdowns in 14 games. The 21-year old has also caught 31 receptions for 351 yards and a score.
As members of the Cowboys vaunted offensive line, the trio of Smith, Frederick and Martin have received a combined 10 Pro Bowl bids including Tuesday’s nominations. Amazingly, they are all 26-years old or younger.
Despite having a 12-2 record, the Cowboys didn’t have the most players nominated to the Pro Bowl. In fact, the 11-3 Oakland Raiders had a total of seven. And the 9-5 Atlanta Falcons had a total of six players receive bids. One more than Dallas.
Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey, who received his first Pro Bowl nod last year, was beat out this season by Falcons kicker Matt Bryant.
Related Story: Eight Things We Absolutely Know About America’s Team
An argument could be made for Cowboys slot receiver Cole Beasley, who leads the team in receptions with 68 catches for 759 yards and five touchdowns. After a hot start, Beasley’s production has slowed, having recorded a total of only eight receptions in his last three outings.
A case could also be made for stalwart tight end Jason Witten. He’s recorded 66 catches for 630 yards and two scores. Beyond the numbers, The 34-year old Witten is also likely the best overall player at his position and vital to the team’s rushing success.
But the biggest overall snub without a doubt is that of linebacker Sean Lee. The veteran is unquestionably one of the best players in the league and wholly deserving of a Pro Bowl bid this season. Especially considering Lee received his first nomination last year, and this season his numbers are even better.
Last year, Lee racked up 128 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, five pass defends and one interception. This season, through only 14 games, the 30-year old linebacker has recorded a career-high 140 combined tackles, one pass defend and an interception during a two-point conversion. Lee has been at the very heart of the Cowboys defensive resurgence and his absence from the Pro Bowl roster is utterly ridiculous.
Next: Five reasons why the Cowboys are Super Bowl bound
Over Lee, the linebackers selected to represent the NFC are the Atlanta Falcons’ Vic Beasley, the Washington Redskins’ Ryan Kerrigan, the Seattle Seahawks Bobby Wagner and the Panthers’ Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly. The Pro Bowl nominations are determined using a combination of fan, coaches and player votes. Each counting a third towards the final results.