The Saints surprised us with the release of Junior Galette, but the linebacker's dismissal makes plenty of sense after all we've heard since.
"When all is said and done, there was more expected from him off the field," Saints coach Sean Payton told ProFootballTalk Live on Tuesday, saying of Galette: "I wish him well and want to see him have success."
The Times-Picayune unpacked Galette's release over the weekend, speaking to a source who called the sixth-year pass rusher a poor teammate who "thought being captain was more so about status on the team instead of being a leader on and off the field."
A source also told the newspaper that Galette "stayed focused long enough to get paid, then the real Junior came out" after he inked a four-year, $41.5 million extension last September.
Gallette's final season in New Orleans included a fist fight with former Saints defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick and a January arrest on domestic violence and simple battery charges, which were eventually dropped.
Reports on Monday described Galette using Twitter to flame Payton and select teammates after he was cut, although the tweets did not originate from the linebacker's account.
With 22 sacks over the past two seasons, Galette is a candidate to draw interest from a needy team or two. Just not the Saints, who strongly believe that Galette's on-field upside wasn't worth the trouble.
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