Jan 12, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard (31) during the second quarter of the AFC divisional round playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. The Ravens won 38-35 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

What cheers me up in this hour of Free Agency Frenzy Day 2 is the news that Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard is out of Baltimore as he said in his Twitter:

“Well Raven Nation it’s been fun. My time in Baltimore is done… Thank you!”

Bernard Pollard signed with the Ravens as an unrestricted free agent back in 2011 and as Spotrac listed he was on a one-year contract for 2013 for a $2.25 million salary. In 2012, Pollard played 13 games and accumulated 98 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 interception.

This news brings a sparkle to my eyes, because I see that as an opportunity for the New England Patriots to sign Bernard Pollard and I think they should.

For one, we need depth in the defense and since Ed Reed more likely will not be  within reach – financially and technically speaking – as Pollard departure was probably an indication that the Ravens wants to make some cap room to keep Ed Reed.

Yes, let’s sign Bernard Pollard! The 6-1, 224-pounder, 28 year-old safety might be the answer to address and complement our defense.

While I’m not a big fan of Pollard, I value his talent and athleticism and the number two reason for signing Pollard is the fact that he won’t be hurting another Patriots player.

That for me, seals the deal.

Follow Celia Westbrook on Twitter @celiawestbrook

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

1. According to top beat writer Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Ravens strong safety Bernard Pollard played through six cracked ribs this season. He did miss three games of the season with the ailment after aggravating the early season injury, but Pollard was playing through the playoffs and most of the season with six cracked ribs. Pollard is tough as nails, and that’s something even Patriots fans will have to consent. He also had a solid season overall for the Ravens in 2012, which was something of a bounce-back year for the veteran safety. Pollard finished the year with 98 tackles and continues to put in some very good work in run defense.

Here is what he told the Baltimore Sun, ”It’s tough dealing with pain. For us as football players, we know we’re going to go through it. At the same time, that’s the name of the game. Six of them, yep. Hey, it’s up to us to go out there and play and we did.”

2. Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cary Williams was lucky to have not been thrown out of the Super Bowl after shoving a referee, and I consider what the referee did to be a selfless act even as others accuse him of being “stupid”. Some people just don’t get the point these days and don’t know virtue when they see it.

Anyway, while Williams isn’t exactly my favorite player in the league, he did play a good game against the San Francisco 49ers in the Ravens 34-31 victory. He also got into a fight with 49ers fullback Bruce Miller that he, for all intents and purposes, won.

This is what he said to the Baltimore Sun, ”To me, I feel like the 49ers are pretenders. They’re fake tough guys. You got to play football. We do it physical and we do it between the whistles. They were diving on piles, shoving people from behind. They can try to pretend they’re physical, but we really are.”

At least he didn’t call the 49ers “arrogant f***s” like Terrell Suggs called the Patriots.

3. Although I prefer Matt Elam, here is an excellent scouting report from NE Patriots Draft (they have the best scouting reports out there) on LSU Tigers star safety Eric Reid. They view Reid as one of the top 40 overall prospects and a top three player at the safety position, and the site also lauds his coverage skills by saying he could succeed at free safety as well. Maybe I’m too low on this guy.

4. SB Nation has the Patriots taking intriguing wide receiver Quinton Patton out of Louisiana Tech, but I would personally prefer Tavon Austin. His ability in the slot has me salivating, and he would be a perfect fit for the Patriots if the team is unable to re-sign Wes Welker.

5. Tony Pauline is one of my favorite draft gurus out there, and he had the New England Patriots taking Florida Gators safety Matt Elam in his 2013 NFL Mock Draft. Pauline lauds Elam’s ability in coverage and his range, which are two traits that (as Pauline notes) will help the Pats troubles in deep coverage. I would love to get Elam paired up with Devin McCourty in the secondary, and the Pats would have a great group of young safeties with Elam in the fold to join McCourty and Tavon Wilson (I have faith in the guy, please rewatch some of the early games this year).

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Stevan Ridley talked about the Pollard hit with ESPN’s Steve Levy. In the interview, Ridley showed a lot of class and even wished the best for the Baltimore Ravens and Bernard Pollard. I’ve made my thoughts known on Pollard more than a few times on this site, and I believe some of the comments directed at him from Patriots fans (almost all of the comments, really) are unwarranted and over-the-top. Although a play like the one on Ridley was a devastating one, it was just a “football play” and there wasn’t a malicious intent on Pollard’s part. Give credit to Ridley for realizing that and saying a classy and intelligent statement to Levy. This is why I love the Riddler.

When asked about what he remembers after the hit he said, “Being completely honest, not much, man. Running the football, unfortunately it’s what comes with the sport that we play. It’s a contact sport. He just came down and made a play, tried to make a physical tackle, and that’s what he did. Unfortunately it was me. You hate it any time to see a player go out like that, but it was me this time. All I can say is that I can bounce back and I live to see another day. And I’m thankful.”

These quotes from Ridley help put a bad memory in perspective, and it makes me think even more highly of Ridley. He said all the right things in that interview, and I encourage you to watch the video and the write-up from ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss. I also enjoyed his quote on “patting eachother on the back”, so I encourage you to click on the piece above to hear/read more from Ridley.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.