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Washington Redskins: Examining Positives, Risk Mitigation of Junior Galette signing

By Kevin Parvizi

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If you read my post yesterday on the Washington Redskins decision to work out free agent outside linebacker Junior Galette, then you can see that I am not a fan of this fit on paper at all.

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In fact, I called a marriage between both sides “insanity”, because the Redskins already have an elite OLB in Ryan Kerrigan and two recent  second-round picks fighting for a spot on the other side in Trent Murphy and Preston Smith. Throw in the fact that the Redskins are an organization with low PR and past in-fighting (RG3 vs. Mike Shanahan or Jay Gruden…take your pick), and there’s more downside than upside to this move.

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His agent Alvin Keels tweeted today that the Redskins have indeed made the plunge, signing Galette, who told us in a bizarre Twitter rant that an NFC South team had interest in him, to a one-year deal. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the deal is for the veteran minimum, and that the Redskins have the “right of first refusal” on the former New Orleans Saints sack-machine in 2016.

It’s the kind of deal Galette was always going to make, as his off-field concerns are as troublesome as anybody’s in this league. He’s been involved in two sketchy off-field situations that you can read about here and (this video is the worst one) here.

Galette is also a terrible teammate who fought with Brandon Deaderick before a game and basically did everything possible to undermine his team. He’s the kind of guy who can destroy an organization’s chances from within, and I’m sure his antics played a role in the Saints shockingly poor performance last season, which is why the only regret the team has is that they didn’t release him sooner.

Look, I can sit here and rip this move to shreds, but, as I alluded to in the first sentence of the piece, I already spent over 1,000 words doing that yesterday before the move happened. I don’t see the Redskins need for an outside linebacker, and Galette’s issues were so pronounced that even a team that struggled defensively last year were willing to release their best defensive playmaker due to his character concerns.

But instead of focusing on the negatives, let’s try and look at the positives, which basically means that we’ll look at Galette from an on-field perspective. At 27, the Stillman product is clearly in the prime of his career, and he can be the dynamic outside linebacker across from Kerrigan that Brian Orakpo was when healthy. And while Orakpo constantly struggled with injuries (to the point where the Redskins opted to let him walk this offseason), Galette hasn’t missed a game since 2012.

Orakpo was a consistent source of pressure at outside linebacker, but he received criticism for not finishing off enough plays. With 22 sacks in the past two seasons combined, Junior Galette isn’t just an edge rusher who consistently disrupts passing games; he also puts the quarterback on the turf on a regular basis.

When he’s at his best, Galette is one of the league’s most dynamic edge rushers, and that’s why the Saints didn’t release him sooner. It’s also why the Redskins are willing to sign him despite his massive red flags that cannot be understated. The potential tandem he can have with Kerrigan in 2015 could dominate, and that will be important against the Philadelphia Eagles tackle duo, Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys elite offensive line, and Eli Manning and his not-so-elite line.

May 26, 2015; Ashbury, VA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) participates in drills during the Redskins OTA at Redskins Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Context is also important when evaluating the Galette deal, because it isn’t as risky as some people think. While it’s still sure to bring the Redskins negative PR due to Galette’s horrible off-field incidents, it might not hurt them in the locker room. Whether you believe this rather rosy outlook from the organization or not, it’s worth noting that Rapoport reports that the Redskins are confident that they have the right locker room make-up that they can keep it “together”.

And if they can’t, they can just cut Galette. We always knew that Galette was looking at a minimum-type contract, but this deal is just perfect for the Washington Redskins from a risk standpoint. If Galette causes problems at any point during his time with the organization in the 2015 season, then they can just cut him and won’t have to think twice about it. Galette’s value is rock-bottom, and with no other interest on the market, he simply had to take the only offer on the table.

This gives the Redskins a chance of fielding an elite edge rushing duo with Galette coming at a bargain price, and if the off-field and locker room concerns start to manifest themselves, then he’s a goner. That’s definitely a positive, and it’s a huge key to why this deal could prove to be beneficial to the Redskins.

Sep 14, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) celebrates after sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne (7) during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Not everything is picture-perfect about this signing, because Galette is the type of player that a non-contender with recent, past organization problems (look at the owner) should avoid. If I were the Redskins, I wouldn’t have done this deal, but because of the lack of financial risk involved and the on-field upside, this deal is significantly better than it could have been.

While Galette will prevent Murphy or Smith from starting, the Redskins are getting a known commodity. And while most people are picking them to come in last in the NFC East, it’s been an open division every year, so the Redskins could conceivably find a way to sneak in.

If this deal works and Galette keeps his nose clean, the Redskins are getting an incredible deal. If he causes problems, they can cut him, but they have to hope that they cut him before the problems put a stain on a make-or-break season for RG3 and, based on the way Daniel Snyder treats coaches, Gruden.

There’s risk, there’s reward, there are massive character concerns, but there are still positives. Let’s try to seek the brighter side of a flier signing, even if it has a chance of blowing up despite obvious precautions taken by the Redskins. They can like their locker room situation, but I’m sure the Saints thought they had a strong locker room before it tumbled down in 2014.

As of right now, the Redskins front seven has to be one of the scariest in the NFL with Kerrigan, Galette, Smith/Murphy as OLB depth, Stephen Paea, Jason Hatcher, and Terrance Knighton (maybe the steal of the offseason).

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