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Junior Galette

Video Of Junior Galette Striking A Woman Emerges

June 20th, 2015 at 3:22pm CST by Rob DiRe

Saints’ pass rusher Junior Galette was arrested in January in relation to allegations of battery. Galette was set to meet with league officials at the NFL office, but will have more to talk about than originally thought, as a video has emerged that shows Galette using force against a woman from 2013, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com.

The video portrays an unrelated incident, in which a fight breaks out and Galette strikes a woman with his belt. It can be found on YouTube, under the name “Spring Break 2013 South Beach Brawl.”

The team and league are both aware of the video and Galette’s participation in it, according to Holder.

The charges from this past January were dismissed, and although a civil suit was filed, it hasn’t moved forward since March. Galette and his camp tried to push the incident as a one-time thing.

“Really, at this level, you can conduct yourself as good, as choir boy as you want, sometimes the trouble comes to you,” Galette said on Wednesday, in regard to the recent arrest. “In that situation, there was nothing I could do. Everything, if I could do it all over again, there’s not much different that I can do as far as what this person wants for me out of my life.”

The video from 2013 does not shine a good light on Galette, and with other recent domestic violence incidents and suspensions around the league, the NFL will likely use this video as strong visual evidence to hand down a suspension and eventually uphold that suspension in case of an appeal.

Junior Galette Won’t Require Surgery

June 16th, 2015 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

After suffering a pectoral injury while lifting weights earlier in June, Saints pass rusher Junior Galette won’t require surgery to repair the damage, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. We heard nearly two weeks ago that Galette was considering going under the knife, but after consulting with multiple experts, including Dr. James Andrews, he and the team have determined that won’t be necessary.

Galette, who turned 27 in March, will attempt to recover with rest and rehab rather than surgery, and will aim to be ready for New Orleans’ regular season opener, per Rapoport. While the veteran pass rusher figures to start training camp on the club’s PUP list, he should ultimately be fine, a source tells the NFL.com scribe.

Having transfered some resources from the offensive side of the ball to the defense this offseason, the Saints will be counting on their D to play better in 2015 than it did in 2014, and Galette is a key player on the unit. The edge rusher has recorded 22 sacks and four forced fumbles over the past two seasons, and signed a $41.5MM extension back in September.

Galette’s recovery and his performance in 2015 could play a large part in his future in New Orleans. All of the fully guaranteed money on his new deal has already been paid, but his base salary for 2016 ($5MM) becomes fully guaranteed if he’s still on the roster on the third day of the 2016 league year. Given the significant amount of prorated bonus money on his contract through 2019, Galette looks like a good bet to stick with the Saints for at least a couple more years, barring a disaster on or off the field.

Galette Considering Surgery After Injury

June 4th, 2015 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Saints linebacker Junior Galette suffered a pectoral injury recently and is contemplating surgery, sources informed Mike Garafolo and Ross Jones of Foxsports.com.

Galette, 27, sustained the injury away from the team’s facilities. Should the sixth-year veteran opt for surgery, he could be out as long as six months, report Jones and Garafolo. The Saints’ top sack artist watched OTA practice from the sidelines Thursday but did not participate, according to NOLA.com’s Evan Woodberry.

Prior to extending fellow pass-rusher Cameron Jordan earlier this week, the Saints locked down Galette, who has 22 sacks the past two seasons, to a four-year, $41.5MM contract before last season.

The Giants lost left tackle Will Beatty to a torn pectoral recently, and their top edge protector will miss five to six months. It’s unclear whether Galette has a torn muscle at this time.

Jordan recorded 7.5 sacks last season after a Pro Bowl-garnering 12.5 in 2013, leading to his new deal but may be on his own for a while this season, with teams planning protections to stop him. Outside linebacker Parys Haralson recorded three sacks last season. The team also signed Anthony Spencer earlier this offseason. Each would have amplified roles for a defense that ranked 31st last year in yards allowed per game if Galette misses regular-season time.

Saints Restructure Junior Galette’s Contract

March 9th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have restructured Junior Galette‘s contract, converting his $12.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus worth the same amount, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The move spreads the bonus over five years, at a rate of $2.5MM per season, meaning the team cleared $10MM in cap room for 2015, which should be enough to get under the cap in advance of tomorrow’s deadline.

The move all but guarantees that Galette will remain on the Saints’ roster for at least the 2015 season, which wasn’t necessarily a sure thing. The pass rusher ran into some legal troubles in recent months, and recent reports have suggested head coach Sean Payton and the Saints wouldn’t have been opposed to moving on from Galette if they could find a taker.

Galette’s off-field issues and his huge $12.5MM roster bonus, which had been due this Thursday, likely discouraged any potential suitors from seriously pursuing a deal, assuming the Saints even explored a trade themselves.

Having already cut Curtis Lofton and restructured Galette’s contract today, the Saints will likely have more cap-clearing moves on the way if they want to have a shot at adding any players in free agency this week. Marques Colston, Ben Grubbs, Jahri Evans, and David Hawthorne are among the Saints whose contracts may be addressed in some form, whether it be via restructure, pay cut, or an outright release.

Saints Re-Sign Sanford, Retain Bunkley

March 6th, 2015 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have re-signed safety Jamarca Sanford, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing agent Drew Rosenhaus (via Twitter). According to the PFT report, the former Viking has agreed to a one-year deal to remain in New Orleans.

Sanford, 29, started 41 games for the Vikings from 2011 to 2013, but was cut by the team in August and had trouble finding regular work for the 2014 season. After a short stint in Washington, Sanford landed with the Saints in November, and appeared in six games down the stretch for the team, logging 14 tackles.

Financial terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but I’d expect a modest salary for Sanford, who should have the chance to compete for playing time on the Saints’ defense this summer.

Here’s more out of New Orleans:

  • A year ago, defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley accepted a pay cut in return for a $300K roster bonus and a spot on the Saints’ roster, and it appears he has made a similar concession this time around. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the team is bringing back Bunkley on a reduced salary, and Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link) confirms that the agreement is a “mirror image” of last year’s, and will create about $3MM in cap savings for the club.
  • The Saints have been “quietly” looking for trade partners for Junior Galette, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. However, as Getlin notes, a deal is unlikely (Twitter links). Galette has been involved in some off-the-field legal issues recently and has a $12.5MM roster bonus on the way next Thursday, making him a pretty unappealing trade chip, despite his on-field production.
  • Head coach Sean Payton is high on Reggie Bush, who is currently a free agent, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that the still has interest in re-signing Mark Ingram, but is keeping an eye on other running backs as well.

La Canfora On Manning, Suh, McCown, Saints

February 25th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Weighing in on two of the biggest offseason stories, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com leads off his latest piece by looking at the Peyton Manning and Ndamukong Suh situations. In La Canfora’s view, Manning will ultimately return to the Broncos after the two sides tweak his contract a little. As for Suh, the CBSSports.com scribe doesn’t have any updates on the Lions‘ talks with the defensive star, but says he thinks the Jaguars and Raiders will be major players. For those teams to be involved in the Suh derby, he’d have to reach the open market, which would mean no long-term deal or franchise tag from Detroit.

La Canfora also passes along plenty more tidbits related to free agency, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

  • When it comes to the market’s top pass rushers, La Canfora thinks Pernell McPhee can reach $10MM per year, with Jerry Hughes in the $9MM range, and Brandon Graham and Jason Worilds around $7.5MM. La Canfora also believes that all four of those players will join new teams next month.
  • Free agent quarterback Josh McCown is expected to decide on his new team later this week or early next week, and could land another deal worth $5MM annually. The Bills and Browns look like the best bets for McCown, according to La Canfora.
  • The Saints are working through contract issues with about a half-dozen players on their roster, sources tell La Canfora. If things work out the way the team hopes, Marques Colston, Jahri Evans, and Curtis Lofton would likely stick around on reduced salaries, while Ben Grubbs, Brodrick Bunkley, and David Hawthorne could be let go. As for Junior Galette, La Canfora is hearing that head coach Sean Payton has “expressed a desire” to part ways with him, following his January arrest. However, Galette’s contract still contains a sizeable chunk of guaranteed money, and the team likely can’t void those guarantees.
  • Percy Harvin probably won’t accept a pay cut from the Jets, which means the team will likely cut him. La Canfora expects the wideout to gamble himself in free agency, signing a one-year deal with a team that has a good quarterback in place.
  • The Jaguars will be seeking a top pass catcher, and La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if the team lands a player like Randall Cobb or Julius Thomas. Per La Canfora, the Packers recognize Cobb’s market could get out of hand, and may focus on re-signing other key free agents, like Bryan Bulaga and Letroy Guion.
  • Chiefs center Rodney Hudson came very close to signing a four-year extension worth $6MM per year during the season. He’s a good bet to exceed that amount in free agency, and the Raiders are one viable suitor.
  • La Canfora anticipates the Ravens will work out a restructured deal with Lardarius Webb, but isn’t as certain about Haloti Ngata, who may play for a new team in 2015.
  • The Jets would have interest in Ryan Mallett if he reaches the open market. However, the Texans have made their interest in the quarterback clear, and Mallett himself said today that he’d like to return to Houston (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).

NFC South Notes: Falcons, Jones, Galette

February 19th, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Even though the Falcons could use some more depth right now, GM Thomas Dimitroff doesn’t regret blowing up the 2011 draft to land Julio Jones, Will Brinson of CBSSports.com writes. “I feel depth — let’s talk about depth. You can talk about depth at so many levels,” Dimitroff said. “Maybe what we passed up, what went to Cleveland, you can juxtapose that again. I know how important Julio is to this team, the game-breaking skills he has. We wanted our offense to have that presence.” Here’s more from the NFC South..

  • Junior Galette‘s attorney, Ralph Whalen, issued a statement indicating that the domestic violence charges against his client have been dismissed, according to Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). The Saints linebacker could still face NFL discipline for the January incident.
  • Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is eligible for free agency next month, and there’s “definite interest” in the veteran from at least one AFC team, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
  • The Buccaneers added a new executive to their front office today, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired Duke Preston as the club’s new director of player development. Preston previously held the same position at the University of Notre Dame.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Shanahan, Trestman, Ryan

January 6th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will consider leaving the Browns, even for a lateral move, because of friction within the organization, writes Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. Shanahan is aiming to become a head coach somewhere (perhaps in Buffalo) but he’d also like to reunite with his father, Mike Shanahan. The 49ers, Raiders, and Bills are have interest in hiring Mike as a head coach with Kyle as the offensive coordinator. More from around the NFL..

  • Washington interviewed Rod Graves on Monday for their GM position, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). By interviewing Graves, Washington has satisfied the Rooney Rule, so that is not a roadblock in their talks with Scot McCloughan.
  • Former Bears head coach Marc Trestman will interview for the Jaguars‘ offensive coordinator position, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Trestman has already interviewed with the Buccaneers.
  • Rex Ryan will be meeting with CBS executives tomorrow to discuss a possible TV role if he doesn’t land a head coaching job, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
  • The Eagles have requested permission to interview recently promoted Packers exec Eliot Wolf for their personnel opening, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Wolf was recently promoted by Green Bay, ostensibly to keep him in-house as the heir apparent to their own GM job.
  • The Eagles requested GM interviews with Chris Grier (Dolphins), Chris Polian (Jaguars), and Brian Gaine (Texans), sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Texans might have interest in former Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, according to Dan Pompei of Sports On Earth (on Twitter).
  • Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson is scheduled to interview with the Jaguars for their offensive coordinator position on Thursday, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Gaine and Lake Dawson, the Titans‘ vice president of player personnel, completed their interviews with the Bears for their GM opening, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
  • Saints GM Mickey Loomis says that the team will take linebacker Junior Galette‘s arrest “very seriously,” as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes. “If at some point we deem it necessary for the club to take some action, we’ll do that,” Loomis said.
  • Loomis feels that the Saints are in better shape financially, Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune (on Twitter). “I would say we’re in a better situation than we were a year ago — on pure salary cap.” He also scoffed at a recent report indicating that he will move into a new role with the team (link).

Junior Galette Arrested

January 5th, 2015 at 6:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints linebacker Junior Galette was arrested and booked on one count of misdemeanor simple battery related to domestic violence today in Kenner, Louisiana, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate. The incident, which reportedly involved Galette and a former college teammate “jumping” a female acquaintance who asked for taxi money, led to Galette being detained at roughly 9am this morning; he was released from jail around 4pm.

In the wake of the Ray Rice scandal earlier this year, the NFL is obviously particularly sensitive to domestic violence issues; as such, it’s fair to wonder if the league could opt to use Galette as something of a poster boy, and use its new policy to come down hard on the star pass-rusher. Under the new standard, Galette is subject to a six-game suspension, although the policy does allow for longer suspension if “mitigating factors” are present. Rice and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy were both involved in similar episodes earlier in 2014, but as the league had not yet implemented its code when those players came under scrutiny, this could be the NFL’s first chance to show its opposition to domestic violence.

Even if Galette is not found guilty of any crime, he is still subject to league discipline, as Larry Holder of NOLA.com explains. The NFL will not interfere with cases that are being investigated by law enforcement, instead waiting until authorities decide whether to move forward and press formal charges. In such cases, the player will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list (as in the Adrian Peterson incident), and continue to earn a salary while on leave.

The incident could have an impact of Galette’s future with the Saints, an issue he reportedly referenced while he was being arrested. Per Michelle Hunter of NOLA.com, Galette told officers that he couldn’t “afford to take a domestic violence charge because of his contract.” However, given the parameters of his four-year, $41.5MM deal, this episode probably won’t affect his status with New Orleans. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explained in September, Galette is due a $12.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year — that bonus is fully guaranteed, so even if the Saints part ways with Galette, he’ll still be owed that money. However, it’s possible that Galette’s contract included a clause that nullifies the guarantees in the event of a suspension, as Holder suggests in a separate piece — although such clauses usually refer to PED bans.

According to his representative Lionel Burns, Galette is “concerned about … working to clear his good name, which he has established on and off the football field.” Burns also downplayed the seriousness of the incident, although that’s to be expected from a personal lawyer. “I want to make it clear this is not a Ray Rice-type situation,” said Burns, via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter links). “So anyone looking for that type of sensationalism in this unfortunate situation … you’re not going to find it here.”

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

  1. New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
  2. Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
  4. New England Patriots – $1.945MM
  5. San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

  • Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
  • Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
  • A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
  • Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
  • Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
  • The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
  • Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

Steelers

Patriots

  • The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
  • The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
  • The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
  • Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
  • Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
  • The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

  • The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
  • Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
  • Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
  • If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
  • The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
  • The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.
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