ALLEN PARK – Glover Quin couldn’t be happier that Darius Slay has been voted to his first Pro Bowl.
“Very deserving, playing great for us all year, he’s been working hard throughout his career and to see it finally happen for him is good,’’ Quin said on Wednesday.
However, Quin is not happy with the process of how players are selected to the Pro Bowl.
That includes another snub for him. It’s not sour grapes, it’s an honest look at who deserves the honor and who doesn’t. Quin was elected to the Pro Bowl only once and that was in 2014.
(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)
“I told you guys this a couple years ago and I mean if I don’t lead the league in interceptions I don’t make the Pro Bowl. It doesn’t matter how good I play,’’ Quin said. “I have more turnovers than any safety in the NFC, I don’t know if I gave up a touchdown this year I don’t know. It is what it is. Just continue doing what I do.’’
NFC safeties who were elected to the Pro Bowl as starters are Seattle’s Earl Thomas, Giants’ Landon Collins and Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins. They each have two interceptions while Quin has three.
“I have more picks than Earl, I have more picks than Landon, I have more picks than Malcolm so I can’t even say they just look at picks …. There’s just certain things that kind of bother me about the whole situation,’’ Quin said.
“I’ve stood here in front of you guys for five years, I tell you every year when a safety has a good year. I’m the first to be like, ‘Hey he played good, he deserved it.’ Even myself if I don’t have a good year I’ll tell you …. The guys that made it, I don’t feel like either one of those guys had a better year than I did. The alternates? I don’t feel like anyone of those guys had a better year than I did. I don’t know.’’
He has a solution. Instead of putting everyone’s name on the ballot a nominating committee should narrow it down to who is having a good season.
“There’s no reason why you should be on the ballot if you haven’t had a Pro Bowl worthy season. You shouldn’t be eligible. No disrespect, Kam Chancellor (Seattle) played nine games. Seriously? You’re an alternate. I’m not being a hater, I’m just saying he played nine games. Kam Chancellor would probably look at you and say, ‘I didn’t have a Pro Bowl year.’ But you’re on the ballot, people see your name and they vote for you, he made alternate,’’ Quin said.
Wait, there’s more.
“I’ve been saying it for years, the NFL there’s no way you can tell me they can’t come up with some type of selection committee and have a release show of guys who are eligible for the Pro Bowl, who should be nominated for the Pro Bowl,’’ Quin said. “Why do you put everybody on the ballot? Everybody is not a Grammy nominee, it’s an honor to be nominated. Just being real. It’s an honor. You don’t get to get voted for best song if you’re not nominated. You get nominated, now you’ve got the opportunity to win the Grammy. You shouldn’t be able to go to the Pro Bowl if you’re not nominated. That’s the way it is for all all-star stuff.’’
He would recommend, ex-coaches, scouts and/or TV analysts might be good to form the nominating committee.
They could wait until Week 13 or so to put out a ballot. Give fans two weeks to vote and then give the players and coaches a vote like they have now.
Hey Roger Goodell, sounds like a good plan.
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