Examining a pair of possible Pro Bowl snubs in New England

The Patriots had four players named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday night, as quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski, fullback James Develin and special teamer Matthew Slater all got the call.

Ultimately, New England had half as many Pro Bowlers as the Steelers, and as many as Jacksonville. Should the Patriots have had more?


It’s always a bit dicey to get worked up over Pro Bowl snubs around these parts. Other than the monetary gain that comes with landing a Pro Bowl berth — like the $150,000 bonus that Slater picked up for his nod — the goal for the Patriots is to be so occupied with other stuff at that time of year, the game and honor have no meaning. Let the guys who aren't going to the playoffs worry about the Pro Bowl. We have bigger fish to fry. Sure, it helps when you put together your next contract and gets you a free trip to Orlando. But the actual honor? Pfft.

But with that in mind, you could make a case that right guard Shaq Mason deserved a spot.

The 24-year-old Mason leads the team in snaps played — he only missed a couple at the end of a November win over the Dolphins — and has been the best part of New England offensive line this season. The Georgia Tech product was named one of the 20 best offensive linemen in the NFL by Pro Football Focus last week, as the site praised his run-blocking skills, as well as the fact that he had given up just one sack in pass protection all season. And he’s done it all while working next to three different right tackles. The 6-foot-1, 310-pound Mason, who we profiled here late last month, has played 981 snaps all season, and has only taken one penalty.

(For the record, the three AFC guards who did make it were Oakland’s Kelechi Osemele, Pittsburgh’s David DeCastro and Buffalo’s Richie Incognito. I’d agree that Osemele deserved a spot, but Mason is every bit as good as DeCastro or Incognito.)

Then, there’s the Pro Bowl candidacy of defensive end Trey Flowers. He’s been one of the most important defenders on the roster this season, and the best thing about an uneven pass rush. Flowers has played in 12 of 14 games this year because of injury, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been an undeniable force, leading the team with 6.5 sack and a pair of forced fumbles.

Against the Steelers on Sunday, the 6-foot-2, 268-pound Flowers led the Patriots with six total pressures (one sack, two hits, three hurries) on 29 pass rushing snaps. That continued Flowers’ streak of recording at least two pressures in every single game this season while he also knocked down the opposing quarterback (either by a hit or a sack) in every game he has played this season.

That being said, the 24-year-old Flowers is part of one of the tougher positions to crack. The three who made it — Los Angeles’ Joey Bosa, Oakland’s Khalil Mack and Jacksonville’s Calais Campbell — all deserved the recognition. But when one of them begs out with an "injury" and if Flowers is available, he deserves a call.