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2017 NFL Pro Bowl Preview
Everything you need to know about the game we love to hate.
| National Football League |
Jan 24, 2017Pro Bowl Weekly Preview
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1/24/17
NFL ALL-STARS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN 2017 PRO BOWL
— Pro Bowl Kicks Off Super Bowl Week in Primetime on ESPN on Sunday, January 29 —
— All-Stars Face Off in Skills Showdown Airing Thursday, January 26 at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN —
The 2017 Pro Bowl, presented by Aquafina, will be played on Sunday, January 29, 2017 and televised live on ESPN and simulcast on ESPN Deportes at 8:00 PM ET from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
This year’s edition of the Pro Bowl returns to the traditional AFC vs. NFC format following three years of a revised,
“unconferenced” structure.
Pro Football Hall of Fame running back JEROME BETTIS, All-Pro tight end TONY GONZALEZ, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl XXXV MVP RAY LEWIS, and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro defensive back CHARLES WOODSON will serve as 2017 Pro Bowl Legends Captains.
Bettis (offense) and Lewis (defense) will lead the AFC, while Gonzalez (offense) and Woodson (defense) will guide the NFC. During Pro Bowl Week, the four Legends Captains will serve as mentors for the Pro Bowl players, coach practices, and be present on the sidelines on gameday. The NFL Legends on both teams will also be assisted by two active player captains.
The 2017 Pro Bowl is the first to be played in Orlando, and will feature the league’s all-stars and Legends Captains taking part in an unprecedented number of youth activities and community events during a week-long celebration of the football community.
Also new this year, the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, pitting AFC and NFC All-Stars against each other in unique competitions, will air on Thursday, January 26 at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN. Each team in the Skills Showdown will feature a mix of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs.
The 44-man Pro Bowl teams are comprised of 21 offensive and 18 defensive players plus five specialists, including a long snapper. ANDY REID and the coaches from the Kansas City Chiefs will lead the AFC Pro Bowl team and JASON GARRETT and the coaches from the Dallas Cowboys will head the NFC squad.
Ten players from the two teams participating in Super Bowl LI, the ATLANTA FALCONS and NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, were selected to the original Pro Bowl roster this season: Linebacker VIC BEASLEY JR., kicker MATT BRYANT, running back DEVONTA FREEMAN, wide receiver JULIO JONES, center ALEX MACK and quarterback MATT RYAN of the Falcons, and quarterback TOM BRADY, linebacker DONT’A HIGHTOWER, safety DEVIN
MC COURTY and special teamer MATTHEW SLATER of the Patriots.
The Pro Bowl players were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counted one-third toward determining the 86 Pro Bowl selections. A long snapper was chosen by each head coach as a “need” player. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams. In 1995, the NFL became the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting.
Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $61,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $30,000.
Tickets to the 2017 Pro Bowl are on sale through NFL.com/ProBowlOnSale.
2017 PRO BOWL PLAYERS BY POSITION
(*First-time Pro Bowl selection)
AFC
OFFENSE (21)
| QUARTERBACKS (3) | TIGHT ENDS (2) | |||
| Andy Dalton, Cincinnati | Travis Kelce, Kansas City | |||
| Alex Smith, Kansas City | Delanie Walker, Tennessee | |||
| Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers | ||||
| TACKLES (3) | ||||
| WIDE RECEIVERS (4) | * | Taylor Lewan, Tennessee | ||
| T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis | Joe Thomas, Cleveland | |||
| Jarvis Landry, Miami | Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati | |||
| Emmanuel Sanders, Denver | ||||
| Demaryius Thomas, Denver | GUARDS (3) | |||
| David DeCastro, Pittsburgh | ||||
| RUNNING BACKS (3) | Richie Incognito, Buffalo | |||
| * | Jay Ajayi, Miami | * | Kelechi Osemele, Oakland | |
| * | Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers | |||
| DeMarco Murray, Tennessee | CENTERS (2) | |||
| * | Rodney Hudson, Oakland | |||
| FULLBACK (1) | * | Jeremy Zuttah, Baltimore | ||
| * | Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore |
DEFENSE (18)
| DEFENSIVE ENDS (3) | INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (2) | |||
| Carlos Dunlap, Cincinnati | * | Zach Brown, Buffalo | ||
| Cameron Wake, Miami | * | Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh | ||
| * | Leonard Williams, New York Jets | |||
| CORNERBACKS (4) | ||||
| INTERIOR LINEMEN (3) | * | Stephon Gilmore, Buffalo | ||
| Geno Atkins, Cincinnati | Chris Harris, Jr., Denver | |||
| Jurrell Casey, Tennessee | * | Casey Hayward, Los Angeles Chargers | ||
| Kyle Williams, Buffalo | Aqib Talib, Denver | |||
| OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (3) | FREE SAFETIES (2) | |||
| Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo | Reggie Nelson, Oakland | |||
| Von Miller, Denver | Eric Weddle, Baltimore | |||
| Brian Orakpo, Tennessee | ||||
| STRONG SAFETY (1) | ||||
| * | Darian Stewart, Denver |
SPECIALISTS (5)
| PUNTER (1) | RETURN SPECIALIST (1) | |||
| Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City | * | Tyreek Hill, Kansas City | ||
| PLACEKICKERS (1) | SPECIAL TEAMER (1) | |||
| Justin Tucker, Baltimore | * | D.J. Alexander, Kansas City | ||
| LONG SNAPPER (1) | ||||
| Morgan Cox, Baltimore |
NFC
OFFENSE (21)
| QUARTERBACKS (3) | TIGHT ENDS (2) | |||
| Drew Brees, New Orleans | Jimmy Graham, Seattle | |||
| * | Kirk Cousins, Washington | Greg Olsen, Carolina | ||
| * | Dak Prescott, Dallas | |||
| TACKLES (3) | ||||
| WIDE RECEIVERS (4) | * | David Bakhtiari, Green Bay | ||
| * | Doug Baldwin, Seattle | Tyron Smith, Dallas | ||
| Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants | Trent Williams, Washington | |||
| Dez Bryant, Dallas | ||||
| * | Mike Evans, Tampa Bay | GUARDS (3) | ||
| Zack Martin, Dallas | ||||
| RUNNING BACKS (3) | Josh Sitton, Chicago | |||
| * | Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas | Trai Turner, Carolina | ||
| * | Jordan Howard, Chicago | |||
| Darren Sproles, Philadelphia | CENTERS (2) | |||
| Travis Frederick, Dallas | ||||
| FULLBACK (1) | Jason Kelce, Philadelphia | |||
| Mike Tolbert, Carolina |
DEFENSE (18)
| DEFENSIVE ENDS (3) | INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (2) | |||
| * | Cliff Avril, Seattle | Sean Lee, Dallas | ||
| Michael Bennett, Seattle | Bobby Wagner, Seattle | |||
| Everson Griffen, Minnesota | ||||
| CORNERBACKS (4) | ||||
| INTERIOR LINEMEN (3) | * | Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants | ||
| Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia | Patrick Peterson, Arizona | |||
| * | Linval Joseph, Minnesota | * | Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota | |
| Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay | Richard Sherman, Seattle | |||
| OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (3) | FREE SAFETIES (2) | |||
| Anthony Barr, Minnesota | * | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay | ||
| Thomas Davis, Carolina | Harrison Smith, Minnesota | |||
| * | K.J. Wright, Seattle | |||
| STRONG SAFETY (1) | ||||
| * | Landon Collins, New York Giants |
SPECIALISTS (5)
| PUNTER (1) | RETURN SPECIALIST (1) | |||
| Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Rams | Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota | |||
| PLACEKICKERS (1) | SPECIAL TEAMER (1) | |||
| Matt Prater, Detroit | * | Dwayne Harris, New York Giants | ||
| LONG SNAPPER (1) | ||||
| * | Jacob McQuaide, Los Angeles Rams |
Source: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk
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Source: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk
Powered by WPeMatico
Source: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk
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