Pro Bowl precision
PFW’s annual poll of NFL insiders shows voters were mostly on the
money with their selections
By Joel Buchsbaum, Contributing editor
As published in print Dec. 26, 2000
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Raiders OT
Lincoln Kennedy
deserves to go
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Unlike most years, the scouts, personnel directors and coaches we polled on the Pro
Bowl agreed with most of the picks. What follows is a look at the actual vote, our
insiders’ opinions and their reasons for them.
* — Pro Bowl starter
AFC | NFC
| Quarterbacks |
| Actual vote: |
|
Rich Gannon / Raiders*
Peyton Manning / Colts
Brian Griese / Broncos
|
| Analysis: The scouts went with Gannon and
then Manning (who almost tied for first), with Steve McNair edging Brian Griese for the
third spot. The experts felt Griese had a great year but missed too much time with
injuries, while McNair found ways to win games at the end and may be the toughest player
in the AFC. They regard Brett Favre as the toughest overall quarterback. |
| Running backs |
| Actual vote: |
|
Edgerrin James / Colts*
Eddie George / Titans
Corey Dillon / Bengals
|
| Analysis: The scouts also went for James,
George and Dillon but said it was a crime not to have the Jets’ Curtis Martin, the
Jaguars’ Fred Taylor and the Ravens’ Jamal Lewis in the game. Most also
mentioned the Broncos’ Mike Anderson and the Steelers’ Jerome Bettis as very
worthy candidates. |
| Fullback |
| Actual vote: |
|
Richie Anderson / Jets*
|
| Analysis: How do you pick a fullback with so
many great runners? In the AFC, the Ravens’ Sam Gash was the choice over Anderson.
Gash, a late-signee, began the year as a bench-warmer after being cut by the Bills. But
once he got into the starting lineup, the Ravens’ offense came alive with Gash
blocking like a third guard for RB Jamal Lewis and QB Trent Dilfer. |
| Tight ends |
| Actual vote: |
|
Tony Gonzalez / Chiefs*
Frank Wycheck / Titans
|
| Analysis: The scouts agreed with Gonzalez as
the starter but had the Chargers’ Freddie Jones ahead of the Ravens’ Shannon
Sharpe and Wycheck for the second spot. |
| Wide receivers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Marvin Harrison / Colts*
Eric Moulds / Bills*
Rod Smith / Broncos
Jimmy Smith / Jaguars
|
| Analysis: The scouts agreed with the four
picks, but the Broncos’ Ed McCaffrey was a very, very close fifth. |
| Offensive tackles |
| Actual vote: |
|
Jonathan Ogden / Ravens*
Tony Boselli / Jaguars*
Brad Hopkins / Titans
|
| Analysis: The scouts agreed on Ogden and had
the Raiders’ Lincoln Kennedy second. They had a three-way tie with Boselli, Hopkins
and Tarik Glenn for third. Willie Anderson, Walter Jones, Jason Fabini and Richmond Webb
were also mentioned. Boselli was not the real Boselli until the second half of the season. |
| Offensive guards |
| Actual vote: |
|
Bruce Matthews / Titans*
Ruben Brown / Bills*
Steve Wisniewski / Raiders
|
| Analysis: The scouts went for Matthews and
the Dolphins’ Mark Dixon as their starters and the Jets’ Randy Thomas over
Wisniewski as their third choice. |
| Centers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Kevin Mawae / Jets*
Tom Nalen / Broncos
|
| Analysis: The scouts chose Mawae over Nalen.
The Dolphins’ Tim Ruddy was a close third, and the Raiders’ Barrett Robbins was
just below Ruddy. |
| Defensive ends |
| Actual vote: |
|
Jason Taylor / Dolphins*
Trace Armstrong / Dolphins*
Jevon Kearse / Titans
|
| Analysis: The scouts went for Rob Burnett,
the Bills’ Marcellus Wiley and the Chiefs’ Eric Hicks, with Taylor, Armstrong
and Kenny Holmes also getting a lot of votes. They were not very high on the year Kearse
had. Holmes, not "The Freak," was clearly the Titans’ best defender in
their minds. They also mentioned the Browns’ Courtney Brown. Those who went against
Armstrong called him a specialist, not a full-time player. They also questioned
Taylor’s stoutness vs. the run. |
| Defensive tackles |
| Actual vote: |
|
Trevor Pryce / Broncos*
Sam Adams / Ravens*
Ted Washington / Bills
|
| Analysis: The same trio was chosen, but
experts said Adams still took too many downs off and Washington was too heavy this year. |
| Inside linebackers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Ray Lewis / Ravens*
Sam Cowart / Bills
|
| Analysis: The best group ever. The scouts
agreed on Lewis and Cowart but also loved the Jets’ Marvin Jones, the Titans’
Randall Godfrey and the Bengals’ Takeo Spikes, all of whom would have been first
choices in the NFC. |
| Outside linebackers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Junior Seau / Chargers*
Mo Lewis / Jets*
Jason Gildon / Steelers
|
| Analysis: Seau was everyone’s first
choice, but then there was a lot of disagreement. The final count had Lewis just ahead of
the Ravens’ Jamie Sharper and the Steelers’ Jason Gildon, who tied for third.
The Chiefs’ Donnie Edwards, Seahawks OLBs Chad Brown and Anthony Simmons and the
Broncos’ John Mobley were also mentioned. |
| Cornerbacks |
| Actual vote: |
|
Sam Madison / Dolphins*
Samari Rolle / Titans*
Charles Woodson / Raiders
|
| Analysis: The scouts had Chris McAlister
just ahead of Charles Woodson for the third spot. |
| Safeties |
| Actual vote: |
|
SS Blaine Bishop / Titans*
FS Rod Woodson / Ravens*
FS Brock Marion / Dolphins
|
| Analysis: The scouts went with the
Chargers’ Rodney Harrison over the Dolphins’ Brock Marion for the third spot,
despite the fact they felt Harrison played below his standards. Lawyer Milloy, Henry
Jones, Lee Flowers, Victor Green and Brian Walker were also mentioned. |
| Specialists |
| Actual vote: |
|
P Darren Bennett / Chargers
PK Matt Stover / Ravens
RS Derrick Mason / Titans
ST Larry Izzo / Dolphins
|
| Analysis: The experts picked Raiders rookie
Shane Lechler over Bennett as the punter. |
Top of page
| Quarterbacks |
| Actual vote: |
|
Daunte Culpepper / Vikings*
Jeff Garcia / 49ers
Kurt Warner / Rams
|
| Analysis: The scouts went with Warner over
Culpepper as the starter and had Donovan McNabb edging Garcia and Brett Favre for the
third spot. Warner is just so good, even with the time he missed, that he still rates
first. Culpepper had a great year, but he was driving a Rolls Royce. Mc-Nabb is not a
polished passer but is a legitimate MVP candidate. Favre carried a Packers team with no
Pro Bowl-type players on offense and had the team’s best lineman (Earl Dotson) and
running back (Dorsey Levens) out for most of the year. Garcia had terrific numbers in the
49ers’ West Coast offense, but as one scout said, at the end of close games McNabb
generally found a way to win. |
| Running backs |
| Actual vote: |
|
Marshall Faulk / Rams*
Robert Smith / Vikings
Charlie Garner / 49ers
|
| Analysis: The experts picked Faulk, Smith
and the Bucs’ Warrick Dunn, who just edged the Gaints’ Tiki Barber, the
Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith and Garner for the third spot. Garner seemed to fade late in
the year while Dunn had a great run after Mike Alstott got hurt and the Bucs gave him a
chance to show he could be another Faulk. |
| Fullback |
| Actual vote: |
|
Mike Alstott / Buccaneers*
|
| Analysis: In the NFC, where there was really
nobody to pick, the experts refused to vote for Alstott, who is not a fullback, and gave
the most votes to the Vikings’ Jim Kleinsasser. "At least he blocks his ass off
and is a real fullback," one scout said. |
| Tight ends |
| Actual vote: |
|
Chad Lewis / Eagles*
Stephen Alexander / Redskins
|
| Analysis: There are half a dozen tight ends
in the AFC ahead of anyone in the NFC, but the scouts agreed with the selections of Lewis
and Alexander. Said one scout: "They are above-average players, period, but who else
is there?" |
| Wide receivers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Randy Moss / Vikings*
Isaac Bruce / Rams*
Cris Carter / Vikings
Terrell Owens / 49ers
|
| Analysis: Once again, everyone agreed with
the picks hands down. |
| Offensive tackles |
| Actual vote: |
|
Orlando Pace / Rams*
William Roaf / Saints*
Korey Stringer / Vikings
|
| Analysis: The scouts picked both of the
Saints’ tackles — Roaf and Kyle Turley — as well as Pace, despite his
midseason slump. Stringer was a close fourth. The experts also mentioned both of the
Redskins’ tackles, rookie Chris Samuels and second-year man Jon Jansen. |
| Offensive guards |
| Actual vote: |
|
Larry Allen / Cowboys*
Randall McDaniel / Buccaneers*
Ron Stone / Giants
|
| Analysis: Our panel had Stone and Allen
starting and the Saints’ Wally Williams third, just ahead of the 49ers’ Ray
Brown. |
| Centers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Jeff Christy / Buccaneers*
Matt Birk / Vikings
|
| Analysis: At least six AFC centers were
rated ahead of anyone in the NFC. The scouts picked Birk as their starter and had a
four-way tie (Christy, Mike Compton, Jeremy Newberry and Andy McCollum) for second. |
| Defensive ends |
| Actual vote: |
|
Hugh Douglas / Eagles*
Joe Johnson / Saints*
Marco Coleman / Redskins
|
| Analysis: The scouts agreed with Douglas and
Johnson, but had the Bucs’ Marcus Jones and the Giants’ Mike Strahan over
Coleman and his linemate, Bruce Smith. The Rams’ Grant Wistrom also got a few votes. |
| Defensive tackles |
| Actual vote: |
|
Warren Sapp / Buccaneers*
La’Roi Glover / Saints*
Luther Elliss / Lions
|
| Analysis: The scouts agreed on Glover and
Sapp, but the Giants’ Keith Hamilton was the third pick among the scouts, and the
49ers’ Bryant Young and the Eagles’ Corey Simon got votes. Nobody voted for
Elliss, who is a very good player, but not quite as good as the others. One scout said,
"In a normal year Simon and Young would be locks for the Pro Bowl, and they would be
my picks if they were in the AFC." The Saints’ Norman Hand was also mentioned.
Said one scout: "The six best defensive linemen in the AFC were tackles and you could
probably make that seven if you include the Dolphins’ Daryl Gardener despite all the
time he missed." |
| Inside linebackers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Stephen Boyd / Lions*
Jeremiah Trotter / Eagles
|
| Analysis: Nobody should go, compared to the
AFC guys, but the scouts went with the Eagles’ Trotter and the Bears’
super-talented rookie, Brian Urlacher. |
| Outside linebackers |
| Actual vote: |
|
Derrick Brooks / Buccaneers*
Jessie Armstead / Giants*
Keith Mitchell / Saints
|
| Analysis: The scouts went with Brooks,
Mitchell second and the Eagles’ Carlos Emmons just ahead of Armstead. |
| Cornerbacks |
| Actual vote: |
|
Champ Bailey / Redskins*
Troy Vincent / Eagles*
Donnie Abraham / Buccaneers
|
| Analysis: The scouts had Ray Buchanan
starting with Bailey second and Vincent third. |
| Safeties |
| Actual vote: |
|
SS John Lynch / Buccaneers*
FS Darren Sharper / Packers*
SS Robert Griffith / Vikings
|
| Analysis: The scouts’ starters were the
Eagles’ Brian Dawkins, despite the time he missed with injuries, and Griffith.
Sharper and Lynch were in a dead heat for the third spot. They also mentioned the
Panthers’ Mike Minter. |
| Specialists |
| Actual vote: |
|
P Scott Player / Cardinals
PK Martin Gramatica / Buccaneers
RS Desmond Howard / Lions
ST Michael Bates / Panthers
|
| Analysis: The scouts agreed with each of
these picks. |
Top of page |
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