Minnesota Vikings Once Again Overlooked For Pro Bowl

On Tuesday night, the National Football League announced the names of the 86 players that would make up the rosters of this year's Pro Bowl. As you'd expect from a 9-5 team that's on the verge of making the post-season and sports one of the league's top defenses, the Minnesota Vikings wound up with numerous players being selected as part of the team.

Oh, wait. . .no they didn't. They wound up with one representative. . .running back Adrian Peterson.

How dumb is that? Well, over at NFL.com, Gregg Rosenthal put together his list of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs, and found three Vikings that deserved the recognition. You know who they are, but let's look at what Rosenthal had to say about them anyway.

3. Linval Joseph, defensive tackle, Vikings

Joseph could be the best run stopper in the league. For a period in November, no defensive player was more valuable. It felt like he won a couple of games on his own and is another player that deserved to make it over McCoy.

4. Anthony Barr, outside linebacker, Vikings

Barr was on our list of players that needed more love in Pro Bowl voting, and clearly it didn't happen. Every coach wants a player like Barr that can rush the passer, elude blockers in the run game to make tackles, and be a difference maker in coverage. Barr alternates sacking quarterbacks and covering tight ends. He's the NFC's Jamie Collins, and Collins was rightly rewarded. The outside linebacker position is loaded, but we'd put Barr in over DeMarcus Ware, who has only been healthy for eight games.

9. Harrison Smith, safety, Vikings

Like Jones, Smith is a do-everything safety. He's also one of the brightest young stars at the position and the key to the Vikings' secondary. He deserved to make it over the Bengals' Reggie Nelson, who is a fine center fielder. Nelson just isn't as versatile. Malcolm Jenkins is another safety that was overlooked.

Yes, I understand that the Pro Bowl is largely a farce, and there's a very good chance that Barr, Joseph, and Smith will all end up going to the game anyway after players pull out with "injuries" such as Idon'twannago-itis. But this is a way to recognize some of the NFL's premiere players, and the fact that they weren't already part of the roster is kind of sad. I honestly don't know what the non-Peterson members of the Vikings' roster have to do to get recognized for how good they are, but it would be nice if someone would let them know.