The Baltimore Ravens released hard-hitting safety Bernard Pollard this morning, and many pundits wondered why?
As one unnamed league source said this about his release, “Three teams in how many years. Soon four. What does that tell you?”
Many figured Pollard was simply released for salary cap purposes.
That now may not be the case, as Pro Football Talk via Mike Silver of Yahoo Sports is reporting that the outspoken Pollard may have been at the head of an October mutiny attempt on John Harbaugh and his approach with the team.
According to Silver John Harbaugh informed the team on Halloween morning that they would be in full pads for practice. Reports suggest that Pollard, Ed Reed and other veteran Ravens tried to openly challenge Harbaugh on his choice, and things could have really gotten ugly.
Practicing in pads did not go over well with some of Baltimore’s other veterans, including safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard, and several of them openly challenged Harbaugh’s edict. Rather than squashing the mini-uprising, the coach welcomed the dialogue and solicited additional criticism. Soon, the meeting turned surreal, as the subject shifted to Harbaugh’s treatment of his players and perceived mood swings.
“It was practically a mutiny,” one Ravens player recalled. “It came very close to getting out of control. But the way Coach Harbaugh handled it was amazing. He let people have their say, and he listened, and he explained himself, and pretty soon it was like a big group-therapy session. In the end, a lot of positive things were said. We didn’t practice in pads, but we came out of there stronger as a group.
This report would coincide with rumors that the Ravens are prepared to let Ed Reed walk. Is the release of Pollard, and the Ravens allowing Reed to look for elsewhere indication that such an attempted mutiny did take place?
One thing is for certain, and that is that the Ravens are moving on and all the huge personalities on the team, except for Terrell Suggs are now gone.