NFL.com writer: David Johnson, John Brown primed to make first Pro Bowl
Jun 2, 2016, 5:31 AM | Updated: Jun 3, 2016, 11:19 am
Last season, seven different Arizona Cardinals were selected for the Pro Bowl, with QB Carson Palmer, WR Larry Fitzgerald, G Mike Iupati, CB Patrick Peterson, DT Calais Campbell, DB Tyrann Mathieu and special teamer Justin Bethel all getting the nod.
The seven players chosen were the most for the team since 1977, and the total was a sign of just how successful the team was in 2015.
Most prognosticators once again have the Cardinals winning a lot of games in 2016, which means they should have a good number of Pro Bowlers once again. Some will likely be making return appearances to the game, which will be played in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 28, but there’s a chance there will be some first-timers in the group.
Now, who might those be?
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal put together a list of nine players primed to make their Pro Bowl debuts, and a pair of Cardinals were featured.
In fact, No. 1 on his list was second-year running back David Johnson.
The Northern Iowa product was one of the best offensive players at any position down the stretch last year. After a draft dry spell in true three-down running backs, the NFC West found two of them last year. Johnson can handle short-yardage work, break big plays and catch passes in the slot. Look for Johnson to join his classmate Todd Gurley among the league’s best in 2016.
Johnson really emerged for the Cardinals last season after veteran Chris Johnson went down with a broken tibia in Week 12, and finished the season with 581 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 125 carries along with 457 yards and four scores on 36 receptions. In two playoff games, he ran for 95 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries while adding 111 yards on 15 catches.
Last season Johnson also tallied 598 yards and one touchdown on 22 kick returns, though that part of his game is likely to take a back seat as he assumes a larger role in the base offense.
The other Cardinal placed on the list by Rosenthal is receiver John Brown, who came in at No. 7.
A 179-pound, third-round pick out of Pittsburg State, Brown gained over 1,000 yards in his second NFL season. Yet it almost felt like a let down because he’s that talented. Brown plays like a receiver who has been in the league much longer, knowing how to set up defenders and find holes in coverage. He sees the field like his quarterback Carson Palmer. After Larry Fitzgerald’s resurgence in 2015, look for Brown to take center stage in the Cardinals’ passing game this season.
Indeed, Brown took a significant step forward last season as he caught 65 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, all totals that ranked second on the team behind Fitzgerald. More than just a deep threat, he proved to be a very difficult matchup for opponents who were also focused on stopping Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and some of the Cardinals’ other offensive weapons.
Of course, while the Cardinals would certainly like to see many of their players named to the Pro Bowl, the hope is that none of them will be able to participate in the game due to the team reaching Super Bowl LI in Houston.
