Browns put 5 players in Pro Bowl

Akron Beacon Journal

The Cleveland Browns have more Pro Bowlers than wins heading into their season finale Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The NFL announced Friday night that the following five players were selected to represent the 4-11 Browns in the Pro Bowl: wide receiver Josh Gordon, cornerback Joe Haden, tight end Jordan Cameron, center Alex Mack and left offensive tackle Joe Thomas.

The Pro Bowl will be played Jan. 26 in Honolulu.

Gordon, Haden and Cameron are first-time honorees. Mack will make his second appearance in the Pro Bowl after receiving the nod as an injury replacement following the 2010 season. Thomas has earned a trip in each of his seven NFL seasons.

It’s the most Pro Bowlers the Browns have had since six players were selected at the end of the 2007 season, when the team went 10-6 with coach Rob Chudzinski serving as the offensive coordinator. The offense boasts four of the five players with Haden being the only defender selected.

The Browns also lead the AFC North in Pro Bowl selections this year, edging the Baltimore Ravens (8-7, four selections), Cincinnati Bengals (10-5, two selections) and Steelers (7-8, two selections).

Wide receiver Antonio Brown and safety Troy Polamalu were the Steelers’ selections.

Perhaps the high number of all-stars is a sign that the Browns aren’t as far away from a turnaround as most outsiders think. The Kansas City Chiefs had six Pro Bowlers last season when they went 2-14. They now have eight Pro Bowlers, an 11-4 record and a secure playoff berth. Browns fans have been dreaming of such a scenario since the expansion era began in 1999.

“It’s kind of special,” Thomas said. “I kind of see what happened with Kansas City last year where they’ve been building talent through the draft. They finally started getting recognition one year before they put those wins together. All we have to do is add a piece here and there and we could be sitting where Kansas City is.”

Added Mack: “Offensively, we’ve done a good job, and people have individually played really well. Unfortunately, we haven’t had quite the success that we want, but it is coming.”

Gordon and Haden were shown watching the announcement together on NFL Network. Both of them said they’ve made each other better and helped the other reach the Pro Bowl.

Despite being suspended the first two games this season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy and playing with three quarterbacks, Gordon, 22, leads the league in receiving yards (a franchise-record 1,564), receiving yards per game (120.3) and yards per catch (19.6). He also has a team-high 80 catches and nine touchdowns.