Junior Galette - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders To Meet With Junior Galette

April 5th, 2018 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are set to meet with linebacker Junior Galette, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. He adds that Galette has drawn interest from a “couple of teams” in free agency.

Back in March, we heard that the Rams and Browns had interest in the Redskins free agent edge rusher. Still, he remains on the market here in April.

Galette was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but he profiles more as a rotation player due to off-field issues and injuries in recent years. After suffering torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and looked strong as he played on on 37% of the team’s defensive snaps.

While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded out the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Washington, at one point, working to retain Galette, but a return is no longer in the cards.

Most NFL teams are focused on younger players these days, but Jon Gruden has bucked the trend by adding several players around the age of 30 and beyond. Wide receiver Jordy Nelson, running back Doug Martin, safety Marcus Gilchrist, and cornerbacks Shareece Wright and Leon Hall have been among those to join up with Oakland this offseason.

Redskins Won’t Re-Sign LB Junior Galette

March 26th, 2018 at 10:12am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins have informed free agent edge rusher Junior Galette that he will not be re-signed, as Washington senior vice president for personnel Doug Williams told Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.

“I did tell him we were going in another direction, and he was very thankful,” Williams said. “He had two Achilles’ injuries, and we stuck by him. We gave him a chance, and he’s very appreciative of it. He told me, ‘Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know whether I’d still be here,’ so it was a good conversation.”

Galette, of course, was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but injuries and off-field issues have turned him into more a rotational player. After suffering those aforementioned torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and played extremely well on 37% of the club’s defensive snaps.

While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Reports recently indicated Washington was working to retain Galette, but Redskins always expected another team to make a better offer. Washington has already lost one free agent pass rusher this offseason, as Trent Murphy inked a three-year deal with Buffalo.

Galette, who turns 30 years old on Tuesday, isn’t wanting for interest, as he’s reportedly drawn the eye of both the Rams and Browns.

Rams, Browns Interested In Junior Galette

March 23rd, 2018 at 8:46am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams and Browns both have interest in Redskins free agent edge rusher Junior Galette, according to Chick Hernandez of CSN Washington (Twitter link). While Los Angeles and Cleveland are indeed eyeing Galette, neither club has made an official offer, reports John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Galette, of course, was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but injuries and off-field issues have turned him into more a rotational player. After suffering torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and played extremely well on 37% of the club’s defensive snaps.

While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Reports last week indicated Washington was working to retain Galette, but Keim says the Redskins expect another team to make a better offer. Washington has already lost one free agent pass rusher this offseason, as Trent Murphy inked a three-year deal with Buffalo.

The Rams make sense as a Galette destination not only because they need edge rushing help (especially after trading Robert Quinn), but because Los Angeles coaches Sean McVay and Joe Barry each worked with Galette in Washington. If signed by the Rams, Galette would likely be in for a major role, as the club’s current crop of outside linebackers — Matt Longacre, Samson Ebukam, and Carlos Thompson — don’t offer a ton of experience.

The Browns, too, have connections to Galette, as front office consultant Scot McCloughan brought Galette to Washington as the Redskins’ general manager, while defensive coordinator Gregg Williams held the same title in New Orleans during the early portion of Galette’s career. Cleveland ranked 17th in adjusted sack rate a season ago, and its only free agent addition on the edge (thus far) is former Bengal Chris Smith, although the Browns did attempt to trade for Quinn.

Extra Points: DRC, Redskins, Maxwell

March 16th, 2018 at 9:58am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says he’s in no rush to make a decision in free agency. Right now, he’s hoping to make a decision “in April sometime” (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson).

Rodgers-Cromartie visited with the Redskins and had a meeting scheduled with the Saints, but it seems that New Orleans lost interest after signing fellow corner Patrick Robinson. The Redskins could still use an addition to their cornerback group, but it’s possible that their offer was not to DRC’s liking. Or, perhaps no offer was made.

Before he was released by the Giants, DRC reportedly agreed to play safety in 2018. That could be a solution for him if his market continues to stall.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

As teams try to hold onto their own players, two to watch: The Redskins are working to keep outside linebacker Junior Galette and the Seahawks are doing the same with cornerback Byron Maxwell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). We had Galette ranked as a top-12 edge rusher heading into free agency. Maxwell did not make the top 15 at his position due to his decline in performance and the depth of this year’s CB crop.
Linebacker Demario Davis says the Jets didn’t make him an offer before he signed with the Saints. “The shocking thing was the Jets didn’t make me an offer, so that made my decision easy because all I had to do was look at the contenders,” Davis said (via Rod Walker of The Advocate). “It would have been something to weigh. The hardest decision isn’t where to go, but deciding if you want to go or stay. So I didn’t have to make that decision so that was the peaceful thing about it. I was able to just weight my options objectively.” Things worked out just fine for Davis as he signed a three-year, $24MM deal with New Orleans.
The Dolphins have been talking with agent Drew Rosenhaus about re-signing offensive tackle Sam Young, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets. If retained, Young would return as Miami’s third offensive tackle.

Top 2018 Free Agents By Position: Defense

March 6th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. After looking at offense on Monday, we’ll tackle defense and special teams today.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2018:

Edge defender:

As a positional group, pass rushers comprise interesting market on the defensive side of the ball. It’s not often that a list of best available players is topped by a 38-year-old, but Peppers is the top free agent edge defender after the Cowboys and Lions deployed the franchise tag on Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Ansah, respectively. As with quarterbacks, NFL clubs are extremely reluctant to allow pass rushers to hit the open market, so top-tier options are rarely ever truly “available.” Peppers, for his part, hasn’t even declared whether he’ll return in 2018, but indications are that he’ll suit up for a 17th campaign after posting 11 sacks last year.

Alongside Peppers, other veterans populate the edge market, and while William Hayes may not be a household name, he’ll be a contributor for whichever team signs him. A stout run defender, Hayes is also capable of generating pressure despite managing only one sack in 2017. The Dolphins used Hayes on only 271 defensive snaps a season ago, and have since replaced him by acquiring fellow defensive end Robert Quinn from the Rams. Now that he’s entering his age-33 season, Hayes should come cheap, but will almost assuredly outplay his contract.

Nearly every other available pass rusher has some sort of flaw which will likely limit his market next week. Trent Murphy is only 27 years old and put up nine sacks in 2016, but he missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with injury. Pernell McPhee, Alex Okafor, Junior Galette, and Derrick Shelby have also been plagued by health questions in recent seasons. And Adrian Clayborn famously registered the majority of his 2017 sacks (and 20% of his career sack total) in one game against overwhelmed Cowboys backup Chaz Green.

The two names that I keep coming back to are Aaron Lynch (49ers) and Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers). Yes, Lynch has been suspended for substance abuse, struggled with his weight, and was reportedly in danger of being waived prior to last season. He’s also extremely young (he won’t turn 25 years old until Thursday) and ranked fifth in the league with 34 pass pressures as recently as 2015. Attaochu, a 25-year-old former second-round pick, also has youth on his side, and while he hasn’t quite flashed as much as Lynch, he’s also been buried on LA’s depth chart for much of his career.

Interior defensive line:

Interior rushers are getting more respect in today’s NFL, but that still hasn’t translated to them being paid on the level of edge defenders — the 2018 franchise tag for defensive tackles, for example, is roughly $3MM cheaper than the tender for edge rushers. While the 2018 crop of interior defenders boasts some impressive top-end talent, none of the available players figure to earn a double-digit annual salary. Sheldon Richardson may have the best chance to do so, but Seattle determined he wasn’t worth a one-year cost of $13.939MM, so is any other club going to pay him $10MM per year? I’d guess he comes in closer to $9MM annually, which would still place him among the 25 highest-paid defensive tackles.

Dontari Poe will be an intriguing free agent case after setting for a one-year deal last offseason, but the most interesting battle among defensive tackles will take place Star Lotulelei and Muhammad Wilkerson, and I’m curious to see which player earns more on the open market. Both are former first-round picks, and it’s difficult to argue Wilkerson hasn’t been the more productive player — or, at least, reached higher highs — than Lotulelei. Wilkerson also won’t affect his next team’s compensatory pick formula given that he was released, but his off-field issues, which include a reported lack of effort and problems with coaches, could limit his appeal.

While Beau Allen and Denico Autry are potentially candidates to be overpaid based on their youth, there are bargains to be had at defensive tackle. Tom Johnson is 33 but he’s offered consistent pressure from the interior for years — his last contract was for three years and $7MM, so he shouldn’t cost much this time around. Haloti Ngata was injured in 2017 but plans to continue his career, and he can still stop the run. And Dominique Easley was outstanding as a 3-4 end in 2016 before missing last season with a torn ACL, meaning the former first-round pick could be a value play for any number of teams.Read more

Linebacker:

Although there are a number of high-quality starting linebackers available in free agency this year, I predict most contracts signed by LBs over the next few weeks will come in lower that most expect. The linebacker market is relatively stagnant, and unless the player is a legitimate star or inking an extension with his original club, he’s usually disappointed with his annual value. The most expensive deal for an unrestricted free agent ‘backer who signed with a new team was Bruce Irvin‘s $9.25MM/year pact with the Raiders, and Irvin can almost be considered an edge rusher. After Irvin, it’s Danny Trevathan, whom the Bears signed for a $7MM annual value in 2016.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise if no linebacker listed above is able to top Trevathan’s two-year-old average, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t starting-caliber LBs on the market. Zach Brown, the poster boy for having to accept cheap contracts, is coming off another solid season, but is reportedly asking for top-three inside linebacker money. Good luck. Similarly, Demario Davis is looking for $8-10MM annually, while the Jets — who have interest in re-signing him — view him as a $3-4MM/year player.

Nigel Bradham and NaVorro Bowman should both come in around Trevathan’s $7MM average after posting excellent 2017 campaigns. While the Eagles would surely prefer to re-sign Bradham, the club’s dire cap situation may mean Bradham will hit the open market next Wednesday. Bowman, meanwhile, was traded from the 49ers to Raiders last season, and he seems like a good bet to stay with Oakland after new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther heaped lavish praise on the 29-year-old.

Cornerback:

Top-to-bottom, the cornerback market is the deepest positional group on the defensive side of the ball. Need a No. 1 defensive back with experience in both man and zone? Trumaine Johnson is your guy. How about a top-end cornerback who, while admittedly up-and-down at times, has the ability to shut down opposing wide receivers? Malcolm Butler has you covered. A former first-round pick who has finally played up to his potential over the past two seasons? Take a look at Morris Claiborne. Or is a career journeyman who posted 10 excellent games last year more your speed? Look into Rashaan Melvin.

Slot cornerbacks are also prevalent in this year’s defensive back market, and while I ranked Aaron Colvin, T.J. Carrie, Patrick Robinson, and Nickell Robey-Coleman in order of my preference, they could each be plugged into a starting nickel package immediately. I originally though Robinson could land a disappointing deal given his age (31) and his track record of underwhelming play prior to 2017, but he’s already garnering interest from the Giants, Raiders, and Cardinals, so his market should allow him to reach at least $5MM annually. Colvin could garner even more than Robinson thanks his youth (26), and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com expects Colvin to have a “legit” market.

If teams are looking for a bargain at cornerback, they should target Ross Cockrell, whom the Steelers dealt to the Giants last year for a seventh-round pick. Cockrell has always been overlooked in the NFL, but he keeps producing results. In 2017, Cockrell finished first in Football Outsiders’ success rate, which measures cornerbacks on their ability to consistently stop opposing wideouts short of the sticks. In fact, Cockrell was one of only eight defenders who stopped a receiver short of a successful gain on over half their tackles a season ago, as FO’s Aaron Schatz recently tweeted, but the league consistently undervalues him and his skill-set.

Safety:

The best free agent safety was taken off the board earlier today when the Rams used the franchise tag on Lamarcus Joyner, and the remaining market is extremely top-heavy. Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, and Kenny Vaccaro could all be in line for at least $5MM annually, but the rest of the class could struggle to find multi-year deals. Among the top-tier safeties, Vaccaro stands out as perhaps the most interesting name. A first-round pick in 2013, Vaccarro has posted three exemplary campaigns and two dreadful years; in 2017, Pro Football Focus ranked Vaccaro as the single-worst safety in the league among 87 qualifiers. But given his draft pedigree and his ability to man the slot, Vaccaro should land a solid deal.

While I like Reid and Burnett a bit more as players, it wouldn’t be a shock if Boston actually lands the largest contract. Reid and Burnett spend a lot of time close to the line of scrimmage, and both have been used as de factor linebackers from time to time. Boston, on the other hand, is a deep safety who can play coverage, and that repertoire is much more difficult to find on the open market. Similarly, Tyvon Branch has been great in coverage during his career with the Raiders, Chiefs, and Cardinals, so he could also see a nice pay bump next week.

After Branch, the crop of available safeties steeply drops off. Every other free agent we’ve listed above will be at at least 29 years old when the 2018 gets underway except for the Lions’ Tavon Wilson, and he was one of the NFL’s worst starting defensive backs last season. Veterans like Corey Graham or Ron Parker can still play as third safeties who see time in “big nickel” packages, but if you’re looking for a starting safety, you’ll want to bring in one of the top six defensive backs on the board.

Kicker:

Punter:

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Graham, Giants

May 18th, 2017 at 9:19am CST by Zachary Links

There’s no reason that the Eagles would re-open negotiations with Brandon Graham unless they are just looking to do a solid for him, though that could open a pandora’s box of future requests from other players, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Graham has outperformed his contract, but he still has two years to go on the deal and he has already made it clear that he will not be a summer holdout. In theory, the Eagles could shift some 2018 dollars into this year, but they’re already pretty tight against the cap. The Eagles could also guarantee some money that Graham was going to earn anyway, but that probably won’t do much to make him happy. At this point, Fitzgerald concludes that Graham’s best bet will be to crush it in 2017 and convince Philly’s front office to give him a lucrative extension next offseason that will allow him to retire with the Eagles.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

The Giants are all-in on Paul Perkins after their lowball offer to LeGarrette Blount, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan writes. There was mutual interest between the Giants and Blount, but Raanan hears that the G-Men only came to the table with a minimum-salary offer. Ultimately, it seems that the Giants were only willing to add a power back if one would come to them on an exceptionally cheap deal. That didn’t materialize, so Perkins now projects as the starter with Orleans Darkwa and rookie Wayne Gallman as insurance. Shane Vereen, meanwhile, figues to be the passing-down back with Shaun Draughn as a potential failsafe in that facet of the game.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden believes that outside linebacker Junior Galette should be able to join the team by the end of July, as Nona Princiotti of The Washington Times writes. “He’s running and lifting, all that stuff right now,” Gruden said. “We’ll probably keep him out of the team stuff for OTAs but hopefully he’ll be full go at training camp.” Galette signed with the Redskins prior to the 2015 season but he has yet to play a down for D.C. The pass rusher tore his left Achilles tendon two summers ago and tore his right Achilles last year.
The signing of Blount will likely lead the Eagles to release Ryan Mathews.

Junior Galette Arrested

April 10th, 2017 at 8:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Redskins pass rusher Junior Galette was arrested Friday in Biloxi, Miss., on charges of disorderly conduct and failure to comply with police orders, reports WLOX. Galette’s attorney confirmed the arrest to Nick Underhill and Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate, adding that his client had quickly bailed out, but he didn’t offer further details.

This isn’t the first time Galette, 29, has run afoul of the law during his NFL career. Galette was arrested and booked on one count of misdemeanor simple battery related to domestic violence back in January 2015, when he was a member of the Saints. Video of a man who appeared to be Galette striking a woman in 2013 then surfaced in June 2015, and though no charges were filed, the Saints released him a month later and absorbed serious cap penalties in the process.

After the Saints cut ties with Galette, he quickly caught on with Washington. However, he hasn’t played a down for the team yet on account of tearing his left Achilles tendon two summers ago and his right Achilles last year. The league also hit Galette with a two-game ban in 2015 stemming from his domestic incident from that year. The two-time double-digit sack artist will attempt to return to action next season, but it’s possible his latest arrest will lead to another suspension, further delaying his comeback.

Extra Points: Charles, Treadwell, Colts, Galette

February 25th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

2016 first-round pick Laquon Treadwell had an underwhelming rookie campaign, but Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is confident that the wideout can still be a productive player. “Laquon came in, and he had some durability issues through OTAs, and had some things on and off during camp,” Spielman told Brian Murphy of The Pioneer Press. “I know that he is maybe the hardest-working kid I’ve ever seen. He is so determined to be a good player, and he has the skill set to do it. But we were never able to get him on track. He is going to be a good player with us. I do believe that in my heart.” Treadwell finished his first season with one reception for 15 yards.
If running back Jamaal Charles is cut by the Chiefs, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus believes he’d be an intriguing fit for the Eagles. Ryan Mathews isn’t expected to be back with Philly next season, leaving Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood as the only experienced running backs on the roster. Charles presumably won’t land a huge contract, so McManus believes the Eagles would be smart to take a flyer on the veteran.
It wouldn’t be a smart idea for the Colts to pursue a top free agent tight end like Martellus Bennett, opines ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. The team already has plenty of depth at the position, and there are more impactful ways the front office can use their available cap space.
Outside linebacker Junior Galette‘s new deal with the Redskins is for one year and $800k ($775 base salary, $25k workout bonus), according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The 28-year-old reportedly re-signed with the team back in late January.

East Notes: Galette, Tyrod, Patriots, Jets

February 4th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Junior Galette seems confident he will be back in Washington in 2017, but Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link) clarifies the pass-rusher’s standing. Since the Redskins placed Galette on the NFI list after his torn Achilles last summer, the Redskins still retain his rights, Jones reports. However, the sides are planning to rework his deal, per Jones.

Galette re-signed in Washington on a one-year deal worth $4MM in March of 2016. Spending the season on the NFI list meant Galette did not accrue a season toward free agency, so he remains on his previous Redskins contract. Washington did not place Galette on its NFI list in 2015 since Galette suffered the injury during training camp. He has not played for the Redskins despite signing two deals, but the former Saints edge threat said earlier this week a new contract is in the works. Set to turn 29 in March, Galette will have to rebuild his stock.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions.

Tyrod Taylor wants to stay with the Bills, the quarterback said during Super Bowl week radio interview on WGR 550 (via Nick Shook of NFL.com) but acknowledges it’s a “sitting and waiting” game now. Having signed a deal that becomes a long-term commitment if he’s still on the Bills’ roster by March 11, Taylor wanting to stay in Buffalo is natural. This offseason, the run-based quarterback’s status has shuffled from being likely gone to a candidate to stay after the hire of Taylor fan Rick Dennison as OC. Doug Whaley indicated his sports hernia injury won’t have any bearing on whether or not he stays. Of course, Taylor not being able to pass a physical by March 11 would ensure it.
Rob Gronkowski wants to play at least six more years, which is where the tight end places fellow Patriots icon Tom Brady‘s timeline at as well. “I don’t really think about it. Every single day I’m with Brady, and he’s talking about how he’s going to play six more years,” Gronkowski told the crowd (via Phil Perry of NESN.com). “So, like, in my mind, how can I stop playing before Brady? I came into the league like 50 years after him. I plan on playing as long as I possibly can.” This gels with a previous Brady proclamation his goal is to play until he’s 45. Brady will be 40 next season, his 18th in the league should he return. The 27-year-old Gronkowski is under contract for three more years but has become a major injury risk.
A Tony Romo-to-Denver scenario could leave a team like the Jets as a landing spot for 2016 starter Trevor Siemian, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. However, due to Siemian’s rookie deal, Cimini notes the Broncos would have the leverage in a trade discussion, and he doesn’t see the Jets giving up a second-rounder for the once-surprising starter. Cimini also notes the Jets had a middle-round grade on Paxton Lynch, adding the Broncos — who obviously held the Memphis product in higher regard — aren’t going to trade him no matter what happens with Romo. The Jets have only Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg under contract for 2017.

Redskins To Re-Sign Junior Galette

January 31st, 2017 at 4:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Pending free agent defensive end Junior Galette will re-sign with the Redskins, he announced Tuesday on Instagram. Gallette’s contract will become official Wednesday, per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com.

It will presumably be a third straight one-year pact for Galette, who inked deals with the Redskins in each of the previous two offseasons. However, injuries have prevented the former Saint from playing a single down with Washington thus far. Galette, 28, has torn his Achilles on two separate occasions – once in August 2015 and again last July – thereby stunting a promising career.

Before signing with the Redskins in 2015, Galette racked up 31.5 sacks in five seasons with the Saints. The bulk of those sacks (22), as well as four of his five career forced fumbles, came during his final two years in New Orleans.

Galette’s career-high 12-sack showing in 2013 led the Saints to sign him to a four-year, $41.5MM extension. However, they cut him a year later because of unbecoming off-field behavior – including a domestic violence incident – and had to eat a significant amount of dead money as a result. The NFL handed Galette a two-game suspension in 2015 on account of his domestic violence violation, though it didn’t actually cost him any playing time because he was already on the shelf.

If Galette bounces back from an injury-plagued two years to make the Redskins’ roster in 2017, he’ll attempt to boost a defense that finished this season ninth in sacks but just 25th in DVOA.