Advertisement

Redskins gamble on Junior Galette with big character risk, small price tag

Redskins gamble on Junior Galette with big character risk, small price tag

The Washington Redskins are taking a risk in signing troubled Junior Galette, who landed a one-year deal with the team, even though the reward could be significant.

Galette was cut by the New Orleans Saints less than a year after he landed a massive contract extension from the team and was named one of its captains. Off-field issues, including a domestic violence arrest and a disturbing video from 2013 surfacing of Galette hitting a woman with a belt, proved too much for the Saints, who took a massive salary-cap hit before cutting him last week.

The one-year deal, according to Galette's agent, is for the league minimum. That spells out how scared other teams were for a player who notched 22 sacks the past two seasons combined.

[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football: Sign up and join a league today!]

New Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan was part of a Seattle Seahawks front office from 2010 to 2013 that drafted the core of a dominant defense — Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Walter Thurmond, K.J. Wright, Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Malcolm Smith, Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, Jeremy Lane and others —with the goal of bringing in tough, athletic and fiery players.

Galette fits the mold of what McCloughan wants in Washington, with size and aggression, even if it would appear to run anathema to the locker-room cleansing he has  tried to accomplish since taking over Redskins personnel in January.

If he can stay in line, Galette joins an outside linebacker group that the team has invested heavily in. Former first-round pick Ryan Kerrigan leads the unit, and he landed a five-year, $57.5 million deal this week. Former second-round picks Trent Murphy (2014) and Preston Smith (2015) can play on their feet and had good college sack production but might be better as run stoppers.

Galette might be counted on to be only a pass-rush specialist if he makes the roster, and it makes sense why they'd want to add him — the Redskins have finished tied for 21st, 21st and 23rd, respectively, the past three seasons in sacks. But Galette first might have to hear from the NFL, which could hand down a stiff suspension for possible violation of the league's personal conduct rules.

On this surface, this transaction might reek of a Daniel Snyder-stamped move, trumping talent over character, and it's possible the Redskins owner whispered in McCloughan's ear about Galette. But the low investment the team made in him might suggest that they could cut bait the second they feel Galette isn't willing to change after a well-documented, tumultous background that stems back to his first college stop at Temple.

If Galette proves to be a good soldier, the Redskins might receive some incredible return on their limited investment. If not, he might be sent packing and questions of what might have been will be a sad chapter of a once-promising career.

- - - - - - -

Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!