The Patriots — as long as they don’t make the Super Bowl — will be well represented in the 2013 Pro Bowl with seven players.
The Patriots finished third in the NFL, behind the 49ers (nine) and the Texans (eight) in NFL Pro Bowlers. Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Logan Mankins, Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo and Matthew Slater were all named to the AFC squad, according to NFL.com.
Gronkowski, Mankins, Wilfork and Mayo were all named starters. Peyton Manning is starting over Brady and A.J. Green and Andre Johnson over Welker. Slater was the only special-teamer named to the AFC squad.
The only player New England fans may clamor for as a snub would be cornerback/safety Devin McCourty, but playing two positions — and being labeled as a cornerback — likely hurt him.
The only rookies to make the 2013 Pro Bowl were Robert Griffin III and Vikings kicker Blair Walsh.
