Three Seahawks named to AP All-Pro team

RENTON — Bobby Wagner figured spending five games as a spectator due to injury — part of that time with his foot in a cast and moving around on a scooter — that postseason honors would likely wait another year.

Turned out that when he was healthy, Wagner’s play as Seattle’s starting middle linebacker was too impressive not to be recognized.

Wagner was one of three Seahawks to be voted to The Associated Press All-Pro first team on Friday. He was joined on the first team by two familiar names: Cornerback Richard Sherman and free safety Earl Thomas. It’s the third straight season that both Sherman and Thomas have been first-team selections, but the first time Wagner has been honored.

“I didn’t necessarily think it was out of the window, I just set new goals basically,” Wagner told the AP. “When I was hurt, I had a lot of time to think. So my whole mindset was if I was going to continue to get what I wanted to get out of this season I was going to have to come back and continue to be the player I was before I got hurt or be better than I was and really try and impact the team in a positive way as much as I could. That was my goals. I wanted to bring that energy, bring that passion, that juice that seemed to be missing and just build off that.”

Wagner tore the tendon connecting his big toe and the base of his foot in Week 6 against Dallas. His return coincided with Seattle’s six-game win streak to close the season, a stretch during which the defense gave up 39 total points.

Wagner finished the regular season second on the team with 104 tackles.

“Started off the year good, getting hurt, having to watch, having to be in the cast; I hadn’t been in a cast since I was a little kid,” Wagner said. “Having to be in a cast and then riding around on that little scooter and then rehabbing … to still keep my mind right and work through all that stuff and still get the recognition I felt like I deserve just means a lot.”

Sherman and Thomas were just two of six players to repeat from the 2013 All-Pro team. Sherman finished the regular season with four interceptions, while Thomas had one. For Sherman, the four interceptions tied a career-low from his rookie season in 2011 when he started just 10 games.

Quarterbacks were less willing to challenge Thomas and Sherman this season, but the quality of their play was still recognized.

“I think they’re recognizing impact. I think they’re recognizing what our defensive numbers are doing, what we’re doing as a whole as a defense,” Sherman told the AP. “That goes to Earl Thomas and Bobby Wagner as well. I think people are starting to understand you don’t get the historical numbers that we’ve gotten without great players and that should lead to more recognition for other players as well: Mike Bennett, Cliff Avril, K.J. Wright, Kam Chancellor. I think when you play at such a high level that you’re not always going to get the big numbers because it’s spread out so evenly.”

Watt, Gronkowski unanimous picks

J.J. Watt found a unique way to make the 2014 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team announced Friday.

Houston’s Watt was listed on all 50 ballots by a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league, with 45 of the votes for defensive end and the other five for defensive tackle. So he actually was a first-team end and a second-team tackle in gaining his third straight selection.

“Everybody always says you try and make it so the other team can’t game plan you because they don’t know where you’re coming from,” Watt said. “I mean, half the time I have no clue where I’m coming from, so it makes it pretty tough for the other people, I think, and that’s the goal.”

No such confusion for New England’s Rob Gronkowski as the other unanimous pick. He grabbed all the votes for tight end.

“He’s, I think, when you say a kid playing the game, that’s him,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. “He don’t care about anything, stats, if we’re up or down, he’s playing one way. He’s playing hard and you can tell he’s just having fun with his friends on the field.”

Dallas led all teams with four All-Pros, including guard Zack Martin, the only rookie on the squad. League rushing leader DeMarco Murray, tackle Tyron Smith and wide receiver Dez Bryant also made it.

“I wasn’t really coming in this year expecting to do this, but it’s been a fun season,” said Martin, a first-round draftee from Notre Dame who has been a major cog in the Cowboys’ superb running attack.

Making their first All-Pro teams were all four Cowboys, plus Seattle inside linebacker Bobby Wagner; Buffalo DE Mario Williams and DT Marcell Dareus; Kansas City outside LB Justin Houston; Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown and RB Le’Veon Bell; Baltimore guard Marshal Yanda; Green Bay fullback John Kuhn; Cincinnati kick returner Adam Jones; and Indianapolis punter Pat McAfee.

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri joined McAfee.

“It’s pretty awesome,” McAfee said. “When we both signed back here (in March), that was the plan — to be the two best specialists in the league. I’m not sure I made it, but he certainly did.”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made it for the second time; he also was the All-Pro QB in 2011.

Brown was next closest to sweeping the panel, earning 49 votes. Murray drew 48 and Houston 47.

“When you step into a stadium he’s a known issue, but still he performs,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Brown. “We could talk about some of the same things about guys like J.J. Watt. We knew what he was capable of when we were getting ready to play him, but it still doesn’t stop the storm from coming.”

Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas earned his fifth All-Pro spot, the most of anyone on the current team. Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis got his fourth All-Pro berth.

Seattle and Pittsburgh each had three All-Pros. There were 16 AFC players and 11 from the NFC.

The Seahawks were all defensive players: Wagner, cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas.

“I’m on such a great defense that sometimes there are guys that get overlooked and unfortunately I was one of them,” said Wagner, who missed five games with injuries in his third pro season. “But I think all the things that has happened this year as far as the awards and the recognition and stuff like that, it means so much more to me this year because everything that I went through this year.”

Repeaters from 2013 were Watt, Thomas, Detroit DT Ndamukong Suh, Carolina inside linebacker Luke Kuechly, Sherman and Thomas.

All-Pro teams

The Associated Press 2014 NFL All-Pro team selected by a national panel of 50 media members:

OFFENSE

Quarterback–Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay.

Running Backs–DeMarco Murray, Dallas; Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh.

Fullback–John Kuhn, Green Bay.

Tight End–Rob Gronkowski, New England.

Wide Receivers–Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh; Dez Bryant, Dallas.

Tackles–Joe Thomas, Cleveland; Tyron Smith, Dallas.

Guards–Marshal Yanda, Baltimore; Zack Martin, Dallas.

Center–Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh.

Placekicker–Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis.

Kick Returner–Adam Jones, Cincinnati.

DEFENSE

Ends–J.J. Watt, Houston; Mario Williams, Buffalo.

Tackles–Marcell Dareus, Buffalo; Ndamukong Suh, Detroit.

Outside Linebackers–Justin Houston, Kansas City; Elvis Dumervil, Baltimore.

Inside Linebacker–Luke Kuechly, Carolina; Bobby Wagner, Seattle.

Cornerbacks–Richard Sherman, Seattle; Darrelle Revis, New England.

Safeties–Earl Thomas, Seattle; Eric Weddle, San Diego.

Punter–Pat McAfee, Indianapolis.

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback–Tony Romo, Dallas.

Running Backs–Marshawn Lynch, Seattle.

Fullback–Anthony Sherman, Kansas City.

Tight End–None.

Wide Receivers–Jordy Nelson, Green Bay; Demaryius Thomas, Denver.

Tackles–Jason Peters, Philadelphia; Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati.

Guards–Josh Sitton, Green Bay; Kyle Long, St. Louis.

Center–Travis Frederick, Dallas.

Placekicker–Stephen Gostkowski, New England.

Kick Returner–Darren Sproles, Philadelphia.

DEFENSE

Ends–Calais Campbell, Arizona; Cameron Wake, Miami, and Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia.

Tackles–Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay; J.J. Watt, Houston.

Outside Linebackers–Von Miller, Denver; Connor Barwin, Philadelphia.

Inside Linebackers–C.J. Mosley, Baltimore; DeAndre Levy, Detroit, and Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh.

Cornerbacks–Chris Harris Jr., Denver; Brent Grimes, Miami.

Safeties–Kam Chancellor, Seattle; Glover Quin, Detroit.

Punter–Johnny Hekker, St. Louis.