Ravens Pro Bowl Snubs?

The Baltimore Ravens are sending one of the bigger contingents of players in the NFL to the Pro Bowl in February. RB Ray Rice, FB Vonta Leach, OG Marshal Yanda, DT Haloti Ngata and FS Ed Reed were voted in by the combination of fans, players and coaches.

However, one could argue that there were a few others that deserved consideration and perhaps even an argument against the grain that at least one player really didn't deserve to be voted in. While Ed Reed may be considered the greatest safety to ever play the game, he has not had a Pro Bowl-type of season and probably isn't even the best safety on the Ravens.

Strong safety Bernard Pollard will be an alternate, but he is easily in the debate of being a Pro Bowl snub. Pollard has been bitten by the injury bug this season, as so many other defensive players on the team have been. However, it is only because he is such a hard hitter that he is injured in the first place and has definitely outplayed Reed, despite playing different safety positions.

One of the biggest possible snubs has to be rookie placekicker Justin Tucker. While Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson is Pro Bowl worthy, Tucker's stats are virtually identical. Dawson has had an amazing season for a bad Browns team, making 28 of 29 FGs, including six of six from 50+ yards and a long of 53 yards.

Tucker is not far behind, hitting on 29 of 31, including all four beyond the 50-yard line and a long of 56 yards. Tucker's 94% success rate is second in the league to Dawson's 97%. Tuckers has hit one more FG and has 40 extra points to Dawson's 28, but then again, extra point opportunities are certainly not Phil Dawson's fault.

Punter Sam Koch is among the league leaders in virtually every category, but nowhere near the top of the list from a statistical point of view. WR Torrey Smith has come into his own as a legitimate #1 receiver but also not in the category of those who got voted in at his position.

Some might want to discuss adding TE Dennis Pitta into the mix, but his stats are just not at the top of the categories of a few other tight ends in the conference. He is currently 4th in receptions, 6th in yards and third in TD catches among AFC TE's, just not good enough to make the squad.

Who do you think either deserves or perhaps even does not deserve to represent Baltimore in the 2013 Pro Bowl? That is, unless it becomes a mute point if the Ravens are in the Super Bowl and won't be able to make it to Hawaii in that case!