It’s that time of year when the NFL is asking the fans to vote for which players they think should be part of the 2012 Pro Bowl.  And every year we hear the same complaints….”player x didn’t play that well this year, and player y deserves to be in the Pro Bowl”.

Pro Football Spotlight has put together an offensive line that they think should represent the AFC West in the 2012 Pro Bowl.  We have broken down every film, every play, for every offensive lineman in the AFC West.  This article will present those deserving players in the AFC West that PFS believes should be on your ballot when you vote for the Pro Bowl.

Let’s vote for the offensive linemen that have had the best year in 2011-12.

Throughout the year, PFS has been breaking down the offensive line film and calculating which offensive linemen are having the best year in 2011-12.  If you would like to see the AFC West rankings from week #8, then click on any button below.

Week #8 Rankings:

(Click it)

Most of the selections to the PFS Pro Bowl line (below) were easy to come up with.  The AFC West has four distinct players that fans from the AFC West should vote, for if you believe the best offensive linemen from the AFC West during the 2011-12 season should be selected to go to the 2012 Pro Bowl.

For ease of voting, PFS has provided the bar of the player from the NFL Pro Bowl voting page.  If you would like to vote for a Player (or all the deserving players) then just click on the bar and it will take you to the NFL voting page.

Let’s take a look at those players…

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot

 If PFS had one offensive tackle to pick from to be on the blind side of our quarterback…it would be Ryan Clady, hands down.  At the 8 game point in the season, Clady had an average pass blocking assignment grade of 91%.  His most impressive stat is his +4.5 dominance score in pass protection.  The dominance score tells us that Ryan Clady dictated or dominated the pass rusher more often than he was beaten or dominated, himself.

The amazing thing about Ryan Clady, he is also a pretty good run blocker.  He really excels at the 2nd level and had a -.1 power score in run blocking.

Ryan Clady deserves your vote for the 2012 Pro Bowl.

 http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot

When looking in the AFC West for an offensive left guard, then look no further than Kris Dielman.  Dielman is, hands down, the best left guard in the AFC West.  At game #8, Kris had an 81% run blocking grade and a +1.1 dominance score.  He is the only right guard in the AFC West with a positive dominance score in run blocking.

A powerful lineman that can get movement on his run blocks…who also has a 92% assignment grade in pass blocking and a +1.8 dominance score when protecting the quarterback.

Kris Dielman deserves your vote for the 2012 Pro Bowl.

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot

In the AFC West, the center position was hard to pick.  None of the players stand out in either areas of run or pass blocking.  But if we had to have a center from 2012….then we want Samson Satele.  We picked Samson because he is currently the only center with a positive dominance score in the run game, +0.7.

Samson is a stout center that rarely gets moved off the line and has a 92% assignment grade in pass protection, after 8 games.  He is currently giving up 1.4 pressures, per game, and has received the fewest number of help blocks in pass protection than any other center in the AFC West.

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot

Louis Vasquez is the best right guard in the AFC West.  When a player starts recording over a +2 power score average, per game, then fans need to notice…and that is just what Vasquez is doing.  After 8 games, Louis is averaging an 85% assignment grade and a +2.2 dominance score.  In fact, he is averaging over +2 in pull blocking and 2nd level blocking, as well.

It is one thing to be a good power blocker and another to be a good pass blocker, as well.  Louis Vasquez is averaging a 91% assignment grade and a +1.5 dominance score in pass protection.  He is the only right guard in the AFC West to have a positive dominance score in pass protection and when you calculate how many passing attempts each team has attempted (and not games)…Vasquez has surrendered the fewest pressures of any right guard.

 Louis Vasquez deserves your vote for the 2012 Pro Bowl.

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot

 The NFL has changed.  In the past, the right tackle used to be the dominant run blocker, the road grader, the player you ran behind when you needed the tough yard…but times have changed.  The emphasis that the NFL teams have put on the quarterback has changed the right tackle position.  Now, not only are the right tackles required to be a good run blocker…it is a necessity that they be able to pass block, as well.

If you are looking for a good pass blocking right tackle that can also do some pretty good run blocking…then look no farther than Khalif Barnes.  Khalif leads all right tackles in pass assignment grades with an 88% and has an eye popping +2.0 dominance score in pass protection.

  Khalif Barnes deserves your vote for the 2012 Pro Bowl.