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Thread: Bernard Pollard responds
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04-01-2013, 12:07 PM #13
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
So the "leaders" on the Ravens should just keep their mouths shut? Does anyone believe that when the chips are down, that the Ravens players look to John Harbaugh as their leader? Strong veteran leadership played a big role in the Ravens winning the Super Bowl this year. Why would any player speak up now that they know that doing so will earn them a ticket off the team?
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04-01-2013, 12:08 PM #14
Re: Bernard Pollard responds
I was initially disappointed in the loss of Pollard. He was a hitter and enforcer in a secondary that really didn't have another one. But his strength was in run support far more than coverage. The Ravens obviously were committed this off-season to stopping the run somewhere else besides several yards behind the LOS (see Canty, Dumervil, Spears signings).
Add to that the facxt that he was a loose cannon: a PF waiting to happen on many of his hits, an outspoken opponent of the League's emphasis on [offensive] player safety with a self-placed target on his back for refs and the League Office. His style of intimidating DB play is going the way of the dodo, and he didn't have the coverage skills to compensate.
He probably did piss off Harbs & Co. more times than the infamous Halloween mutiny. Reed had loose lips, too, but also a stature and service record that more or less entitled him to outbursts and random regrettable musings.
They let Reed go cause he was done (God bless him). I can accept that Pollard helped show himself to the door.
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
Not at all true. The mutiny was after the Texans blowing us out. We crushed Oakland, but besides that here were some of our games:
- Wins over the Browns (hooray)
- Getting run over by Dallas and only beating them by 2 points because of a missed field goal
- Beating the great Byron Leftwich by three points
- A miraculous 4th & 29 play to edge out the Chargers, who ended up firing their GM and Coach
- Losing to Kirk Cousins
- Losing to Charlie Batch in Baltimore
- Getting curb stomped by Denver in Caldwell's first game
The stepped up play coincided with Caldwell settling in as OC. I agree that Cam's firing was a great thing, but he was canned after the Skins game. I think the coaching staff would have made the move either way. And let's remember that the initial mutiny was about practicing in pads - it was Harbs and Reed who managed to transmute it into a discussion about the OC. I don't know what Pollard's role might have been, but he could have just been a loudmouth.
A lot of us were complaining about how we possibly wasted Ray and Reed's last years here. How last year was our year and that Flacco was too inconsistent. It was only after Caldwell got some time to settle in and we saw the performance in the Giants game that people started believing in this team again. And I bet that's what motivated the defense to step up in the playoffs. I maintain the Cam move would have happened without the mutiny, and that's why I think Harbs doesn't see it as a good thing (despite what he tells the media).
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04-01-2013, 12:21 PM #16
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04-01-2013, 12:30 PM #18Pro Bowl Poster
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
If the mutiny resulted in Bisciotti getting wind that damn near every player on the team hated Cam, thus making Bisciotti force Harbaugh to fire him a few weeks later, then it was the best thing to ever happen to this team.
Harbaugh was never going to fire "Coach Cam". Just watch all of the mic'ed up stuff. Every other clip is Harbaugh patting Cam on the back with a "great call, coach Cam". Harbaugh gave him game balls for Christ's sake. He was never going to fire him, until Bisciotti put his own ass on the line. Obviously Harbaugh is still a little sore about losing his bestest bestie.
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04-01-2013, 12:36 PM #19Legendary RSR Poster
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04-01-2013, 12:41 PM #20
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
Supposedly, that meeting that was characterized as a "near mutiny" was where Harbaugh encouraged players to speak freely. Pollard was the player rep, and was elected to that post by his fellow players. I would think that he would have been a member of that "leadership team". I just think this sets a very bad precedent. The message being conveyed is shut up, collect your check, and don't play hurt. If the team fails, then so be it.
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04-01-2013, 12:46 PM #21
Re: Bernard Pollard responds
Unless, of course, the "real" reason BP and Reed are no longer here is because:
1) Pollard isn't very good in coverage, and
2) Reed is no longer a $5Mil/year Safety.
Radical stuff, know. I mean, how often are players released just because the team thinks it can find better or cheaper replacements?
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04-01-2013, 12:57 PM #22Pro Bowl Poster
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
It hasn't hurt the Giants. They've won two SBs since their 'mutiny'. They weren't immediately shipped off, but did leave in time - that was more to do with performance or other things (Barber retired and Shockey was shipped off to the Saints more for things afterwards) than the 'mutiny'.
It may have added, but they weren't let go for that reason alone. If they were, the Ravens wouldn't have competed for Reed.
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04-01-2013, 01:02 PM #23Pro Bowl Poster
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
My working theory is that once the Ravens realized they weren't going to be able to keep Ellerbe and Reed at their price, they just decided to REALLY overhaul the defense, and cutting Pollard because of his lack of coverage skills was a part of that. If he was a locker room headache that probably didn't help him, but I doubt the Ravens' coaching staff/FO is that thin skinned given the amount of success they've had.
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
It was also a totally different situation. Coughlin had a council of veterans whom he spoke with weekly. In one of their meetings they brought their concerns to him and told him things really needed to change. That is the right way to do things.
On the other hand, it was reported that Pollard and others blindsided Harbaugh in the middle of practice, in front of the entire team and refused to practice until he addressed their concerns. That's NOT the right way to do things.
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