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IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys sent an NFL-record 13 players to last year's Pro Bowl. They'll gladly trade Tuesday's smaller selection size of five for a deep playoff run.
No matter how this topsy-turvy season ends, five Cowboys starters - tight end Jason Witten, center Andre Gurode, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, linebacker DeMarcus Ware and guard Leonard Davis - will represent the NFC in Hawaii this February. Four players - Witten, Gurode, Ware and Davis - were part of the record-breaking group in 2007 that helped the Cowboys capture their first NFC East title since 1998.
Davis has been selected as a reserve. The other four will start for the NFC squad.
Ware, a three-time selection, headlines this year's class as a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and perhaps the NFL MVP award. He needs four sacks in the Cowboys' final two games to break Michael Strahan's single-season league record.
Witten earned his fifth straight selection despite a myriad of injuries, most notably a slightly separated right shoulder (suffered in Week 2 against the Eagles) and a fractured rib (suffered in Week 8 against the Buccaneers). He has a team-high 69 catches for 815 yards and three touchdowns, and now ties Jay Novacek for most Pro Bowl appearances by a Cowboys tight end.
Ratliff, a first-time selection, has developed into a star since arriving in 2005 as a seventh-round pick. He leads the defense in quarterback pressures and is tied for second in sacks (7).
Gurode and Davis are making their third and second trips to Hawaii, respectively.
Notable omissions include quarterback Tony Romo, who ranks second in the NFC with a 98.3 passer rating (3,013 yards, 24 touchdowns, 11 interceptions) despite missing three games with a fractured right little finger; linebacker Bradie James, who leads the Cowboys in tackles (169) and all NFL inside linebackers in sacks (6); and cornerback Terence Newman, who has helped spark the defense's resurgence in the five games since his return from sports hernia surgery. Starting offensive tackles Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo also have played well this season.
Pro Bowl voting is split in thirds among the fans, coaches and players.
Here's a complete list of the Cowboys' 2009 Pro Bowl selections:
G Leonard Davis (2nd selection)
*C Andre Gurode (3rd selection)
*NT Jay Ratliff (1st selection)
*LB DeMarcus Ware (3rd selection)
*TE Jason Witten (5th selection) (* denotes NFC starter)
No matter how this topsy-turvy season ends, five Cowboys starters - tight end Jason Witten, center Andre Gurode, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, linebacker DeMarcus Ware and guard Leonard Davis - will represent the NFC in Hawaii this February. Four players - Witten, Gurode, Ware and Davis - were part of the record-breaking group in 2007 that helped the Cowboys capture their first NFC East title since 1998.
Davis has been selected as a reserve. The other four will start for the NFC squad.
Ware, a three-time selection, headlines this year's class as a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and perhaps the NFL MVP award. He needs four sacks in the Cowboys' final two games to break Michael Strahan's single-season league record.
Witten earned his fifth straight selection despite a myriad of injuries, most notably a slightly separated right shoulder (suffered in Week 2 against the Eagles) and a fractured rib (suffered in Week 8 against the Buccaneers). He has a team-high 69 catches for 815 yards and three touchdowns, and now ties Jay Novacek for most Pro Bowl appearances by a Cowboys tight end.
Ratliff, a first-time selection, has developed into a star since arriving in 2005 as a seventh-round pick. He leads the defense in quarterback pressures and is tied for second in sacks (7).
Gurode and Davis are making their third and second trips to Hawaii, respectively.
Notable omissions include quarterback Tony Romo, who ranks second in the NFC with a 98.3 passer rating (3,013 yards, 24 touchdowns, 11 interceptions) despite missing three games with a fractured right little finger; linebacker Bradie James, who leads the Cowboys in tackles (169) and all NFL inside linebackers in sacks (6); and cornerback Terence Newman, who has helped spark the defense's resurgence in the five games since his return from sports hernia surgery. Starting offensive tackles Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo also have played well this season.
Pro Bowl voting is split in thirds among the fans, coaches and players.
Here's a complete list of the Cowboys' 2009 Pro Bowl selections:
G Leonard Davis (2nd selection)
*C Andre Gurode (3rd selection)
*NT Jay Ratliff (1st selection)
*LB DeMarcus Ware (3rd selection)
*TE Jason Witten (5th selection) (* denotes NFC starter)
