pro bowl players: picks for MVP, coach they wanta play for, etc.

Pro Bowl Confidential: Players’ picks for MVP, worst city to visit, coach they’d like to play for, COVID-19 suggestions

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LAS VEGAS — Two years ago, at the last Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla., we used the gathering of the NFL’s best players for a Pro Bowl Confidential, hitting up players with a brief, anonymous survey to get their views on some issues.

COVID-19 restrictions and the logistics of limited interview windows made it a challenge this year, but we went to Las Vegas to do the same as the Pro Bowl settles into its new home out west. In all, we talked to 20 players, with a mix of AFC and NFC, offense and defense and even some special teams standouts.

Rodgers or Brady for offensive MVP? How about neither?

We asked players to name their offensive and defensive MVPs for the 2021 season, and though the overall honor has been publicly debated between Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, neither won the players’ vote.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, took that honor easily, getting eight votes, twice as many as any other player before the final ballot was cast. Rodgers took second with five votes, and Brady took third with three votes, with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow next with two votes.

Also receiving a single vote each were Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, who won the NFL receiving triple crown by leading the league in catches (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16), and the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel, who led the league in yards per catch as a versatile weapon, finishing with 1,405 receiving yards and 6.2 yards per carry on the ground.

Runaway winner: T.J. Watt as defensive MVP

Few questions had as clear a consensus as defensive MVP, as Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt got 11 votes after matching the NFL’s single-season sack record with 22 1/2, his second straight year leading the league. “Not even close,” one Pro Bowler said.

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, who led the NFL with 11 interceptions and returned two for touchdowns, and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald were next-closest with two votes each. Also getting a single vote: Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay and Bengals safety Jessie Bates.

Most underrated NFL player, offense

We asked this two years ago, and some of the answers were prescient — Samuel and not-truly-underrated Packers receiver Davante Adams, who went from five touchdowns the year we did the survey to 18 the next.

We asked players not to name a current teammate, just to lessen the chances of them giving a friend a shout-out. In theory, if you’re getting valid answers, you shouldn’t get any one player too often, or that guy isn’t really that underrated. Here’s what they offered up:

Three votes

Hunter Renfrow, WR, Raiders: Renfrow got the most votes. Could it be a gracious nod to the Raiders as hosts of this year’s Pro Bowl? He did earn Pro Bowl honors this year, and deservedly so, scoring nine touchdowns in 2021 after totaling six in his first two NFL seasons. He finished with career bests in catches (103) and yards (1,038), the catches being the third most in Raiders history.

One vote

Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens: Another breakout year — his first All-Pro selection and second Pro Bowl after getting 107 catches for 1,361 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s 509 yards better than his previous high — he did have 10 touchdowns in 2019 in his first Pro Bowl season. His 107 catches were fifth in the league and most among tight ends. Only twice has a tight end had more catches in a season: Zach Ertz with 116 in 2018 and Jason Witten with 110 in 2012.

Ben Bartch, G, Jaguars: The second-year lineman from Division III St. John’s in Minnesota stepped into a starting role in October and kept the job the rest of the season. The 2020 fourth-round pick, who bulked up from tight end in college, has made a good case to be Jacksonville’s right guard.

Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals: He’s taken a back seat to rookie teammate Ja’Marr Chase, but Boyd is playing in the Super Bowl, with his fourth straight season with at least 800 receiving yards. He had five touchdowns and added another in the playoff win against the Raiders.

Mike Evans, WR, Bucs: He’s in Las Vegas for his fourth Pro Bowl, having broken his own Bucs team record with 14 touchdown receptions this season, plus two more in the playoffs. If he’s underrated, it’s only in the context of not being mentioned enough in the best-in-the-league conversation, or at least in the best-not-named-Cooper conversation this season.

Will Hernandez, G, Giants: A four-year starter for New York, the former second-round pick from UTEP is a free agent who may or may not be back with a new regime leading the Giants. “I think he’s a way better player than people think,” one Pro Bowler said in naming him. “I think he’s a pretty solid player.”

Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals: The second-year receiver ramped up his stats from his rookie year, getting 74 catches for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns. He’s stepped up in the Bengals’ last two playoff wins, getting seven catches for 96 yards against the Titans and six for 103 in the win over the Chiefs.

Elgton Jenkins, G, Packers: He missed the final two months of the season with a knee injury, but the third-year guard has been a mainstay on the Green Bay line with 38 career starts.

Aaron Jones, RB, Packers: His numbers were down this season after he scored 16 touchdowns in 2019 and made the Pro Bowl with another 1,000-yard season in 2020. He nearly went to Las Vegas as a replacement, but the Packers’ three players selected all withdrew from the game. When a 4.7 yards-per-carry average represents a down year, you know Jones has set the bar high.

Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Falcons: Always a dangerous returner, Patterson was used more by the Falcons on offense than in any of his first eight NFL seasons. He had career highs in rushing yards (618) and receptions (52), and his 11 touchdowns were more than he’d totaled on offense in the past six seasons combined.

James Robinson, RB, Jaguars: The second-year back was used less this season under coach Urban Meyer but still finished with a better yards-per-carry average (4.7 yards) and more touchdowns (eight) than he did in 2020. Not bad for a player undrafted out of Illinois State. He’ll have to compete with a healthy Travis Etienne in 2022, but he’s been perpetually underrated since his college days.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions: “That dude really impressed me,” one Pro Bowler said. “I think he’s going to be a way bigger name in years to come. He’s pretty underrated right now because he’s just a rookie and playing with the Lions.” The fourth-round pick from USC finished with 90 catches for 912 yards and five touchdowns, but remember how he finished the season — at least 90 yards in each of his last four games, with a touchdown in each. Over the final six games, he ranked fifth in the NFL in receiving yards, tied for third in touchdowns and catches.

Most underrated player, NFL defense

Lots of “that’s a tough question” responses here, and no player earned more than one vote:

De’Vondre Campbell, LB, Packers: On his third team in three years, Campbell was a bargain for Green Bay, earning first-team All-Pro honors after piling up 146 tackles, two picks, two sacks and two forced fumbles. Wherever he lands in 2022, he’ll be making more than the $2 million he played for this season.

Randy Gregory, DE, Cowboys: Stepping into a larger role, Gregory matched a career high with six sacks in 2021, getting three forced fumbles for the second year in a row, as well as his first career interception. He played for the veteran minimum this past season and, despite his off-field problems, is now in line for a major free-agent contract.

Trey Hendrickson, DE, Bengals: Cincinnati paid handsomely to land the former Saints pass rusher, and he made them look smart, validating his 13 1/2-sack final season in New Orleans with 14 sacks in his first year with the Bengals to earn Pro Bowl honors for the first time. He’s been better in the playoffs, getting a sack and a forced fumble against the Raiders and 1 1/2 sacks against the Chiefs.

Mike Hilton, CB, Bengals: Another smart free-agent signing by Cincinnati, he made a huge play in the playoff win over the Titans, tipping a pass to himself for a red-zone interception. He had two picks during the regular season, including a pick six.

J.C. Jackson, CB, Patriots: Undrafted four years ago, he has intercepted 17 passes over the last two seasons, earning his first Pro Bowl nod this year. He made $3.3 million this season, but he’ll be one of the most coveted free agents at any position, projected to get $20 million a year after a great two-year run.

Eric Kendricks, LB, Vikings: Just one Pro Bowl in seven seasons in Minnesota, but Kendricks set career highs with 143 tackles and five sacks in 2021. He’s versatile to help in pass coverage (nine career INTs) and in rushing the passer (14 sacks).

David Onyemata, DT, Saints: The 29-year-old from Nigeria has yet to make a Pro Bowl, but he’s been a starter in New Orleans the past three seasons, peaking with 6.5 sacks among 10 tackles for loss in 2020.

Denzel Perryman, LB, Raiders: Las Vegas got Perryman in a pick swap from Carolina — gave up a sixth, got a seventh back — and he flourished with the Raiders, finishing the season with 154 tackles in earning a hometown Pro Bowl nod. He’s still inexpensive for one more season on the two-year, $6 million deal he signed with the Panthers.

Zach Sieler, DE, Dolphins: A former seventh-round pick of the Ravens, he’s found himself in Miami, with 5 1/2 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in the last two seasons. “He’s been killing it down there,” one Pro Bowler said. “He’s been top of the league in TFLs and nobody knows about him.”

Devin White, LB, Buccaneers: The Pro Bowler nominating White didn’t initially remember his name, knowing only that 45 was a playmaker in Tampa. He had a quiet 2021 after making a lot of splash plays in the Bucs’ Super Bowl run, with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries in the playoffs.

Favorite NFL city to travel to

For the last two years amid COVID-19 restrictions, NFL players haven’t exactly been able to get out on the town when on the road, so asking them their favorite NFL city to travel to didn’t elicit an overwhelming favorite.

“Every city feels the same,” one Pro Bowler said of team travel in 2021. “We’re not allowed to do anything. All we do is go straight to the hotel. We’re pretty much locked up.”

Five cities, none on the East Coast, earned two votes each to tie for the most. Los Angeles, which won two years ago with six votes, received only one. One Pro Bowler picked Minneapolis, calling it “a hidden gem.”

Houston (2)

Kansas City (2)

Las Vegas (2)

Phoenix (2)

Seattle (2)

Chicago

Green Bay

Indianapolis

Los Angeles

Miami

Minneapolis

New York

Least-favorite NFL city to travel to

Two years ago, when we asked Pro Bowl players for their least favorite city to travel to, Buffalo was the runaway winner, getting 10 votes, more than double any other city. “No charm, and all the negatives of Green Bay,” one voter said.

Well, there’s good news for the proud people of Buffalo — they only tied for the least favorite city this time around, drawing even with Green Bay this time. “Every time we go there, it’s raining or snowing,” one Pro Bowler said. Northern cities dominated the list, but one Pro Bowler from the East Coast named Los Angeles, citing the long flight and jet lag.

Buffalo (4)

Green Bay (4)

Cincinnati (2)

Jacksonville (2)

Chicago

Cleveland

Detroit

Los Angeles

Pittsburgh

Coach you’d most like to play for

Two years ago, the Chiefs’ Andy Reid and Seahawks’ Pete Carroll shared the most votes, and both were named again — “They always win,” said the Pro Bowler choosing Reid — but the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin led the way with four votes. A close second — and benefitting perhaps from serving as AFC head coach this week — was Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel, who got three votes. One player offered former NFL coach Jeff Fisher, now coaching the USFL’s Michigan Panthers this spring, and asked he be included.

Mike Tomlin, Steelers (4)

Mike Vrabel, Titans (3)

Matt LaFleur, Packers (2)

Bill Belichick, Patriots

John Harbaugh, Ravens

Pete Carroll, Seahawks

Sean Payton, ex-Saints

Andy Reid, Chiefs

Jeff Fisher, USFL’s Michigan Panthers

Which is worse: Playing a 17th game or playing on Thursdays?

After the first NFL season with a 17th game added to the schedule, we wondered how players felt about it, knowing it’s an extra week of physical demand on their bodies but something they voted to allow in the most recent CBA negotiations. Was that better or worse than playing games on Thursday nights, which is another source of TV revenue but creates a short week and can be taxing on players’ bodies with the shorter window between games.

So we asked them to answer on a scale of 1 to 5, five for liking the most and 1 for liking the least, to get a numeric value for each. Some tried to express their opinion beyond our limitations, with one vote for “10” on the 17th game (“I get another opportunity to make more money”) and votes for “zero” out of five on both questions. Some Pro Bowlers were nuanced enough to avoid a whole-number answer, offering a “3.5” and “2.5” to show some small sway from the middle answer.

The answer? Players don’t hate either as much as you might think. The 17th game drew an average answer of 2.74, slightly below the middle, though with the same number of “5” responses as “1” responses. “I’m used to playing 20 games a season with preseason, so I don’t mind it,” one player said.

On playing on Thursdays, the average response was a 3.26 — add up the two scores, it’s an exact mathematical indifference. The most common response to playing Thursdays was a “5” — “I can play any day of the week,” one said, and another just liked playing in prime time, regardless of the day. “I like it, not so much on the front end, but I like the mini bye week on the back end of it,” another said.

Most poorly officiated call in today’s NFL

We tried to have a good variety of positional representation in our panel — not just offense and defense, but a mix of linemen and receivers/defensive backs, knowing each would have his own perspective on the league. Two years ago, defensive pass interference got half the votes, twice as many as any other penalty.

DPI won again this time, but barely so — six votes for that penalty (“too much room for judgment, and an opinion shouldn’t determine games,” one said), barely edging roughing the passer, which drew five votes. Players were also passionate about the league’s taunting penalty (“that’s bullshit”) with five votes, and there were single votes for holding, lowering the helmet (“those are always so gray”) and adjustments to the cut-block rule.

Favorite current athlete outside of football

It’s no surprise if you’re around NFL players — more often than not, they love basketball as their next-favorite sport, and the NBA dominated their answers, with baseball and hockey getting no mentions and golf and soccer as the only others included.

Also to little surprise, Lakers star LeBron James was the leading vote-getter with five.

LeBron James, Lakers (5)

Tiger Woods, golf (2)

Devin Booker, Suns (2)

Stephen Curry, Warriors

Chris Paul, Suns

Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers

Enes Freedom, Celtics

Joel Embiid, 76ers

Ja Morant, Grizzlies

Justin Thomas, golf

Kylian Mbappe, soccer

Suggestions on NFL COVID-19 protocols

This was intended as a lightning-round type survey, hoping to knock out as many as possible within the very limited interview window for players at Pro Bowl practices. But we wanted to include something about the NFL’s handling of COVID-19, so as a final question, we asked players if the league could do anything differently with COVID-19 in the upcoming season, what they would suggest.

It’s a polarizing issue and drew a wide range of responses — one said “I don’t mind the protocols” and another said “I don’t think they could have done anything different. I think they handled it the best way they could.”

Others weren’t as pleased, with answers as simple as “Everything. Stop it. Stop wasting my time” to “Better protocols” and “Stop changing it every week.” One asked the league to stop using the Kinexon GPS trackers that players are asked to wear while in team facilities, which helps establish contact tracing data. “I don’t think they were used that much at all,” he said.

We don’t know how COVID-19 will have morphed six months from now when NFL teams are reporting for training camps, but given the change with the omicron variant — less severe, more contagious — one player asked that COVID-19 not be given its own set of rules. “Eliminate everything and treat it like any other virus we encounter throughout the year, kind of like the flu,” he suggested. Another asked for an extension of the league’s eventual change this season: “If you’re vaccinated and not showing symptoms, there’s no point in being tested,” he said.