2010 Pro Bowl Roster Filled with Vikings, Colts and Eagles

The 2010 Pro Bowl roster will be formed under different circumstances this year. Those on the 2010 Pro Bowl roster aren't getting a trip to Hawaii, but are heading to Miami instead. Of course, Miami is hosting a bigger show the next week, as most players would rather go to that city for the Super Bowl. Nevertheless, the 2010 Pro Bowl roster will provide a warmup show on January 31, with the official selections made today. However, there's no guarantee that all of them will make the trip.

In the NFC, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers were named as the conference's three quarterbacks, with Brees as the starter. The Vikings, despite their recent struggles, are sending an NFL-leading eight members to the Pro Bowl, according to the NFL's official website. The Cowboys and Eagles are sending six players - with the Eagles' DeSean Jackson starting as a wide receiver and kick returner.

Big NFC stars like Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, Jared Allen and Darren Sharper were also named as starters. The likes of Stephen Jackson, Miles Austin and Asante Samuel will be reserves.

On the AFC, their 2010 Pro Bowl roster is led by six Indianapolis Colts, including leading vote getter Peyton Manning. Tom Brady's first season back earned him a nod, with first-time selection Philip Rivers rounding out the AFC quarterbacks. Manning's favorite targets, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, were also named as starters, with Chris Johnson as the starting running back.

The AFC also invited first timers like Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice, and veterans like Ray Lewis, Dwight Freeney and Brian Dawkins. But the 2010 Pro Bowl roster included no one from the 10-5 Cincinnati Bengals.

The 2010 Pro Bowl is supposed to be different, since its out of Hawaii and held a week before the Super Bowl. However, this may make the game more irrelevant, since many selected players may wind up in the Super Bowl, and therefore wouldn't bother with the Pro Bowl. Therefore, there may be many alternates who wind up in the game, even if they didn't make the first cut today.

Of course, the rosters reflect the dominance of the NFL's best teams - at least through the first three months. The Vikings lead the way, as their recent losses came too late to affect the voting. The Cowboys, Eagles, Saints, Colts, Chargers, Ravens and Broncos also have five or more all-stars to brag about. However, the Bengals, Buccaneers, Lions and Falcons were all passed over.

Announcing the 2010 Pro Bowl roster was a nice ego-boost for NFL stars, as they prepare for the last week of the year. The game itself will take place on January 31 at Miami - though most players still have eyes on playing a week later.

Sources

NFL.com- "2010 Pro Bowl rosters"

Sporting News- "Vikings lead NFL with eight Pro Bowl reps"