Saints defensive end Junior Galette is tired of hearing about all the defensive "leaders" that New Orleans lost in the offseason. The list includes Malcolm Jenkins, Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, and Roman Harper. The way Galette sees it, the team is better off.
"I mean, c'mon, who are you talking about?" Galette asked reporters via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "The guys that replaced them are better than they were. ... It's not even close. Across the board. I'll take Kenny Vaccaro any day over any safety. And I'll take (Cam Jordan) over any defensive end. Jairus Byrd over any safety."
Galette went to the unusual length of calling out former players by name.
"(Curtis) Lofton is putting up numbers Vilma never put up. So. It is what it is," Galette said. "I feel like, you know, (Will Smith's) never been a better player than me, regardless from whatever stage he was at. Or Cam."
We like Galette's fire, even if he's choosing a strange time to talk. The Saints have the 31st best defense in the league according to FootballOutsiders' numbers, and their pass rush has been inconsistent at best. It's fair for Galette to note that the players the Saints let go of were near the end of the line, with the exception of Jenkins.
It's also fair for Smith, perhaps the team's best defensive player since 2000, to take offense.
"Smh this fool done lost his mind ... worry about winning games and championship first (and) then hop off my (expletive)," Smith wrote on Twitter.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews a busy Week 14 schedule and recaps the Cowboys' win over the Bears. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.