Report: Junior Galette released by Saints following latest trouble

The New Orleans Saints have released pass rusher Junior Galette, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The fact that the team has paid Galette nearly a whopping $18 million the past year makes it stunning, but when you consider all the trouble that has followed Galette makes it quite understandable.

Lately, trouble has outweighed talent with Galette, who was arrested on a domestic violence charge (which was later dropped) in January, was shown hitting a woman in a 2013 video that went viral this offseason and has been rehabbing a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in a weight-lifting injury.

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It appeared that the Saints would stand by Galette despite all the trouble, pending league discipline, but those plans obviously changed. The team always appreciated his passion for the game and his production — 10 sacks last season — but clearly was fed up with the off-field problems and incidents that Gallette couldn't seem to shake.

Galette was one of four Saints captains last season, along with Cam Jordan, Kenny Vaccaro and Curtis Lofton. Jordan is coming off a sub-par season, Vaccaro was benched late in the year, and Lofton and Galette have been released.

Now the Saints must identify where the pass rush will come from. They paid a lot of money to Jordan, but his pass-rush production has been hot and cold the past two seasons. Second-round pick Hau'oli Kikaka, who racked up 12 sacks for University of Washington last season, suddenly becomes that much more important. Veterans Anthony Spencer and Parys Haralson also might be counted on more than expected in the wake of Galette's release.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan might have a better season out of his unit coming off the disaster that was 2014, but he and the rest of the Saints defense will have a lot harder time achieving it without the services of their best pure pass rusher.

It's also not clear what will happen for Galette, considering he still could be handed down discipline in the form of a suspension after meeting with the NFL this offseason to discuss his arrest, and he might be too hot for the other 31 teams to consider touching right now until there's more clarity with his situation.

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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! Follow @Eric_Edholm