AP

Last week on PFT Live, a former hard-hitting safety from the Patriots (Rodney Harrison) said that one of the things the Patriots need is a hard-hitting safety.

Enter Ed Reed?

Peter King of SI.com said during Sunday night’s Pro Bowl pregame on NBC that the Ravens safety most likely will hit the market in March, and that Patriots coach Bill Belichick (described by King as the president of the Ed Reed Fan Club) will swoop in and sign him.

That would be a far cry from the last time the Ravens let a high-profile defender test the waters of the open market. Four years ago, linebacker Ray Lewis found no takers, and he eventually re-signed with the Ravens.

As King and I were discussing off camera, it was in hindsight a colossal blunder for the Cowboys (who were believed to be interested in Lewis) to not sign him. The team desperately needs vocal leadership on defense, and his presence could have provided the spark that may have taken the Cowboys much farther than they have gone in recent years.

But for the Patriots’ possible interest in Reed, it’s less about intangibles and more about the need for someone who can make the secondary significantly better. Reed can do that. And Belichick surely knows it.

Of course, Reed will have to get past the Tom Brady kick slide from last Sunday night. A pile of money often is helpful, however, when trying to turn the page.