In a story about the Saints’ decision to release linebacker Junior Galette, Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Galette had a poor relationship with his teammates that took a turn for the worse after Galette signed a long-term deal with the team last year.
One unnamed Saint said “the real Junior came out” after he got paid, which went along with a locker room fight to paint a picture that doesn’t make much of an advertisement for future employment. Cornerback Keenan Lewis had a friendlier appraisal of Galette when asked about his former teammate at Lewis’s annual youth football camp.
“You know, that’s a guy who I think is a good guy. Probably made a couple of bad decisions lately, but I don’t want people to judge him,” Lewis said, via the New Orleans Advocate. “Give him a chance, give him an opportunity. Wish the best for him. Don’t talk down on him and say this guy’s that. Like they say, don’t ever judge a book from the first two pages. Always read the middle.”
Safety Kenny Vaccaro was also at Lewis’s camp and stuck to Galette’s football ability while discussing the departure.
“I really didn’t follow all the stuff closely,” Vaccaro said. “Junior’s a great player, he played his heart out every game. It’s unfortunate that we can’t have him, because he’s a great pass rusher.”
The Saints felt comfortable moving on without Galette in spite of what they might lose in pass rush, but it doesn’t sound like cheers for his departure were totally unanimous in the New Orleans locker room.