How is Wake 4th in pro bowl balloting?

[EKnight]

Guy commands double teams on almost every snap, leads the league in sacks, and is probably not going to make the pro bowl. He and Carpernter- hello? 60 yard field goal and a top 3 in the league kicker if not better- are neither one near the top of the fans' ballots. UGH!

[Cathal]

Because it's a popularity contest I suppose.

[StL FinFan]

Because it's a popularity contest I suppose.

Pretty much.  Cameron Wake is not a name people recognize.

[EKnight]

Ha ha ha. Bet Aaron Rodgers knows who he is. Wake won us that game. -EK

[TonyB0D]

How can you not spell ProBOWL. 

Seriously, you cannot spell BOWL??

Did you even graduate 2nd grade?

[EKnight]

A ha ha ha ha ha! Don't know what's funnier- the fact that 35 people viewed this thread before someone caught that, or the fact that I mistyped it. Wait- got it- the fact that I have an MA fromt he Citadel in English. In my defense, I started the thread from my phone, and was in such a hurry, didn't bother to double check what was auto-populated as I was typing. -EK

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Several reasons. 

1. There are other good linebackers in the NFL.

2. Very rarely does a guy get voted in during his breakout season.  Typically it is not until the following one.  Last year he didn't do much.  Maybe he is good enough to go to the probowl, maybe not.  But I won't vote for him this year. He needs to prove he is an elite player and not just a one shot wonder. We are talking about a guy who entered the league in 2005 and as of yet has not started in a full season worth of games.   

3. Being on a team that wins prime time games helps.  Being on a team that is out of playoff contention hurts.

[EKnight]

2. Very rarely does a guy get voted in during his breakout season.  Typically it is not until the following one.  Last year he didn't do much.  Maybe he is good enough to go to the probowl, maybe not.  But I won't vote for him this year. He needs to prove he is an elite player and not just a one shot wonder. We are talking about a guy who entered the league in 2005 and as of yet has not started in a full season worth of games.   

Entirely an opinion that you're entitles too, but not entirely correct. He did NOT come into the league in 2005. He never started an NFL game before last year- a year where he racked up 5.5 sacks off the bench behind Porter and Taylor. He's a 2 time CFL Defensive Player of the Year and is a league frontrunner in several stats-  QB hurries, sacks, and tackles for a loss.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

He did NOT come into the league in 2005.

He entered the league in 2005.  He spent the training camp with the Giants and was not good enough to make the 53 man squad.  He then played in the CFL where he showed enough for a second NFL team to take a chance on him.  And he has had a half of a good year.  Being the CFL Defensive Player of the year, is an honor slightly less prestigious than the being named the best practice squad player in the NFL.  Cause the CFL is a league of guys not good enough to make an NFL practice squad. 

He certainly has played well enough for Dolphin fans to be quite happy with Irland/Saprano/Parcells decision to sign him (although I rarely see that posted in their defense at talent evaluation everyone just bemoans the drafting of White).  But he has not shown enough for me to call him pro-bowl quality.   

[EKnight]

Perhaps you don't understand the way the CFL lines up. LB's there line up 5 yards further back than in the NFL, so 39 sacks in two season is monsterous no matter how you want to discount it. Again, if beating out Matthews, Harrison, Ware, Umenyiora, and the perennial sack leaders in his first full season doesn't warrant consideration for a spot, then what exactly does? It's a Pro Bowl for THIS SEASON- not a career achievment award. -EK

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

full season

Season ain't over yet.  That is the problem.  You are asking me to call him elite based on a half a season of good play.  I won't do it. He is a guy who has been trying unsuccessfully to get a spot in the NFL from 2005-2009 and then finally this year became a starter I am not going to give the benefit of the doubt he will maintain the level for the remainder of the season.  Keep it up until next year and he goes to the pro-bowl.  Thats the way it works.  Wes Welker went to the pro-bowl in 2008 for his moster year in 2007.  Peyton Manning is going to the pro-bowl this year cause he threw 49 TD in 2004, not for what he did this year. 

[EKnight]

Thank God only a third of the vote is from the fans. Your POV is lunacy. Revisit this thread when his peers vote him in for what he did THIS year. -EK

[Cathal]

I think you can call Wake an elite (or soon to be an elite) pass rusher. Even the commentators say it during the games. He should be going to the pro bowl with stats alone but, we'll see.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I think you can call Wake an elite (or soon to be an elite) pass rusher.

You can call him potentially soon to be an elite.  But you can say the same thing about Devin McCourney being potentially an elite cornerback.  Keep it up for another season and they go. 

[EKnight]

That's just lunacy. If they keep it up for another season, they're an elite player for two years. At this moment- right now- Wake is the best pass rusher in football by any and all stats. He is beating double teams for sacks and wearing out O-linemen who have been in the NFL for years, and who- by YOUR determination are sooooo much better than anyone in the CFL. You don't get it both ways- either the NFL is better, and he's beating the best of the best, or it's not better and what he did in the CFL carries merrit. -EK