The 49ers had a league-high eight players selected to the Pro Bowl. They had more players chosen for the team than the entire NFC East.Yet, there was one player who was not on the initial roster, nor was he listed among the 10 players from the 49ers who will serve as alternates.Rookie Aldon Smith ranks fifth in the NFL with 14 sacks. Yet, he was snubbed by the fans, players and coaches in the Pro Bowl voting.
As best as I can surmise, there are several reasons for this:--He is not a starter, so he was not listed on the fan ballot.
--On the ballot players and coaches receive, every player on every team's depth chart is listed. But starters are denoted with an asterisk. Many players just scan the list, pausing only to consider the players with an asterisk next to their names.--Smith is listed as an outside linebacker, but he played only a dozen snaps at that position this season. More accurately, he was a defensive end in nickel situations.--Each of the defensive ends selected to the Pro Bowl team rank ahead of Smith in sacks: Jared Allen (18.5), Jason Babin (18) and Jason Pierre-Paul (15.5).--And it's difficult to argue with the picks at outside linebackers, either, because of their bodies of work: Veterans DeMarcus Ware, Clay Matthews and Lance Briggs.--And, then, there's reputation. Aldon Smith is a rookie, so he played against only nine NFC opponents. That means he likely wasn't even considered by players and coaches from six other NFC teams.But all of that should change next season.The 49ers coaching staff handled Smith wonderfully this season. They didn't put too much on his plate. They allowed him to get comfortable as a pass-rusher, while keeping him fresh so he could thrive late in games.Next season, Smith will be a starter. And a lot more people will be aware of him.With his sack against Seattle on Saturday, Smith passed Dwight Freeney for the second-most sacks in a single season by a rookie. Smith is just a half-sack from the record:Most rookie sacks
Jevon Kearse (Tennessee, 1999) 14.5
Aldon Smith (49ers, 2011) 14
Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis, 2002) 13
Leslie ONeal (San Diego, 1986) 12.5
Simeon Rice (Arizona, 1996) 12.5(Note: Von Miller, a Denver starter at outside linebacker, was named as a starter on the AFC Pro Bowl team. Miller is tied for third in the AFC with 11.5 sacks.)
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