A fourth Browns player has been
added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Can more be on the way?
The latest to be added is the team's designated long-snapper Ryan Pontbriand. He will join wide receiver Braylon Edwards, kick returner Joshua Cribbs, and left tackle Joe Thomas. It will be the first Pro Bowl appearance for all four players. In fact, they are the first Browns to go to Hawaii since the 2001 season.
Who would have expected Pontbriand to come such a long way? When former coach (and alleged talent evaluator) Butch Davis burned a 5th round pick on the guy in 2003, many fans and media thought he was out of his mind. At the time I remember thinking the team would have been better off bringing in one of Tiajuana's finer ping-pong ball shooting "artists" to long snap try out. Don't think those ladies couldn't pull it off for a second...so I've heard.
While each of the last two points may have been true, Pontbriand instead ended up pulling a minor miracle and becoming one of, if not the best long snapper in the NFL. I don't know how this can statistically be proven, but we'll just go along with it. The guy is going to Hawaii after all.
Other Browns who may get invites as injury replacements include Jamal Lewis (LaDainain Tomlinson) and Kellen Winslow (Antonio Gates) who may be replacing a pair of injured Chargers. They are both listed as next in line as "alternates." Stay tuned.
Read the complete post at http://kidcleveland.blogspot.com/2008/01/another-brown-heading-to-hawaiimore-on.html