NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bernard Pollard said Tuesday he's enjoyed watching the Titans' approach in free agency and is looking forward to helping implement the plan.
Pollard, who had a team-high 142 tackles (93 solo) last season in his first year with the Titans, re-signed a multi-year contract with Tennessee a week before free agency began on March 11.
Pollard is preparing for his ninth pro season and represented himself in the negotiations. It's a decision he had thought about in the past and decided it would be an opportunity to utilize off-field skills with help from the NFL Players Association to prepare for discussions with Titans general manager Ruston Webster and President/CEO Tommy Smith.
"I want to challenge myself as a player, as a man, as a businessman to go out and do some things I'm not used to. I know the language," Pollard said. "I understand the game. I've been around it a long time. I understand what's fair, what I want and Nashville was the best situation for me. I thank God because God has opened up doors and I'm so appreciative for Ruston and Mr. Smith. It's going to be fun."
Tennessee also brought back defensive lineman Ropati Pitoitua, running back Jackie Battle and return specialist/running back Leon Washington through new deals and brought in RB/WR/RS Dexter McCluster, DL Al Woods, QB Charlie Whitehurst, LB Wesley Woodyard and RT Michael Oher from other teams.
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"They're getting the right guys in here. I had a chance to talk with Ruston, and he and I have great dialogue going back and forth and what we want to do is finish this thing in Arizona (at Super Bowl XLIX)," Pollard said. "Coach (Ken Whisenhunt) is going to be a great part of that because guys that were here last year are going to be able to understand what this man wants. I think it's a great thing for us to be able to hold each other accountable from the coaches to the players."
Pollard, a captain in 2013, is two years removed from helping Baltimore win Super Bowl XLVII. He voiced disappointment last season when the Titans were eliminated from the postseason, although he said Tennessee improved between 2012 and last season.
"I looked at all the things that happened last year, some things I didn't like and some things that I did like, but at the same time, there's some things I do want to change," Pollard said. "All I can do is voice that to Coach (Whisenhunt), to Ruston and to my teammates. It's not going to be anything negative, but it's going to be us getting on board together so we can turn that corner and go. It's too many times that we didn't finish teams off when we should have. It's times we came out flat as I'll get out, so going forward, we need to be training for our future so when we have our camp in April, whatever it is, we need to be training for November, December or January."
Pollard said teammates are eager to see what the defensive system will look like under new defensive coordinator Ray Horton and expects it to be an attacking style similar to one he played with the Ravens. The Titans' offseason program, which has multiple phases of increasing intensity, is scheduled to begin April 7. The team is allowed to begin two weeks earlier than teams that do not have new coaching staffs.
"All I can say to our fans, to opposing teams is we're going to come get you. We're not going to shy away from it," Pollard said. "I know last year we kind of set back and did some things and didn't pressure, but this is going to be a defense where we're going to go get them and I'm excited for that. My teammates are excited for that, but the biggest part about that is once the excitement phase is over, how you deal with it, so I think all of us being on one accord, going to make this thing happen, we talk about it a lot."
