Chargers News: Too Much Risk For LB Galette?
The New Orleans Saints released linebacker Junior Galette on Friday despite signing him to a 4-year $41.5 million extension just last year. His off the field troubles, including two specific domestic abuse instances, were too much for the Saints to deal with.
In January of this past year, he was arrested for a domestic depute but the chargers were later dropped. Now, the NFL is reviewing video tape of a 2013 incident where a man who looks like Galette was hitting a woman with a belt on the beach.
On the field, Galette was one of the Saints best players, leading the team in sacks last year with 10. In 2013 he was second on the team with 12 sacks, his first year as a starter.
He still needs to pass his physical Saturday with the team before he can be officially released. Assuming he passes, he will be looking for a new team ASAP, could the San Diego Chargers be that team?
The Pros
While the off the field issues could scare away plenty of teams, including Tom Telesco, you can’t argue with his impact on the field. One of the biggest weaknesses the Chargers have had over the past 4 years has been consistent pressure on the QB. If the Chargers could add Galette to there linebacking core, that could take our defense to the next level.
He’s only 27 years old and has started just two seasons which means he’s pretty fresh. The depth that Galette would provide for outside linebacker could be huge. Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu have both missed time over the past two seasons and these are the Chargers’ pass rushing threats.
The Cons
Well, we dove into that a little already but the character issue is a big red flag here. The Saints just ate $12.1 against their cap, the Chargers literally can’t afford another situation that would lead to him being cut.
There is also the video from 2013, which is still being investigated by the League. That, plus the arrest in January, could give Galette a one-way ticket to suspension town. With the NFL’s inconsistent suspension history, he could be looking at 2 games or 4 games, or maybe they just spin a wheel and see what it lands on. The point being, he probably won’t be around for all 16 games in 2015.
So the question remains, do the Chargers take a flyer?
The skill set is so tempting here and it’s a point of weakness for this current Chargers club, but I just can’t see a scenario where they sign him. There’s way too much baggage for the amount of overhead bin space. Even bringing him in on a 1-year, prove it deal, could be risky especially if he is disruptive in the locker room.
I say you stay away, what say you fellow Chargers fans?
Nick was born and raised in San Diego where he became a Chargers and Padres fan, attending numerous home games throughout the years with his dad. He then went on to attend college at the University of Arizona. There he earned his degree in marketing and now lives in San Francisco where he dreams of the the sunny beaches of San Diego. Bear Down.