The NFL just announced the rosters for the 2021 Pro Bowl teams. While there’s no actual game to be played due to the pandemic, that doesn’t mean we don’t get to complain about obvious snubs. In the end, no Carolina Panthers players made the cut for the NFC squad. While they didn’t have many candidates, there are at least two who deserved a spot.
Panthers defensive end Brian Burns is the first. At one point, he was leading the fan-part of the voting at his position in the conference. He was soon surpassed by Cameron Jordan of the Saints, though. Brandon Graham of the Eagles and Washington rookie Chase Young took the NFC’s other EDGE spots.
So, what happened?
Part of the problem is that team success inevitably plays a huge role in consideration for individual awards. While rightfully the two should be separated, that’s just not the way it works.
Burns’ traditional pass rushing numbers are also a bit behind the league’s other elite edge defenders. This is also part of the issue. Most people will focus exclusively on sacks and Burns “only” has eight so far this season to go with 20 quarterback hits.
Traditional stats aren’t everything, though. Burns has been every bit as disruptive as any edge defender in the NFC this year. Burns currently ranks fifth in pass rush win rate at his position and has occasionally broken into the top 10 in run stop win rate, as well. With more time in the league, Burns will eventually get his proper respect.
Another candidate as a snub was right tackle Taylor Moton. He’s blocked at a high level for the pass and the run all season. He had some pretty brutal competition, though. David Bakhtiari, Trent Williams and Terron Armstead are the three OTs on the NFC side.
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