Junior Galette, Saints Agree to Restructure Contract: Latest Details, Comments

The New Orleans Saints and Junior Galette agreed to a restructuring of the linebacker's current contract. According to Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, the team is freeing up $10 million in cap space with the move.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport provided some of the specifics regarding the restructuring:

Mike Triplett of ESPN.com wonders whether this news means Galette, who has recorded 22 sacks over the last two years, will for sure remain in New Orleans now:

Back in December, Grantland's Bill Barnwell wrote extensively about how the Saints were in a rather precarious situation regarding the cap. He hinted that New Orleans would make moves like this to alleviate some pressure:

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How can we be sure they'll convert the roster bonus to a signing bonus? Well, for one, they need the cap space. The other reason it's likely is that they've already agreed to make the same move with another of their key contributors, Galette. The pass-rusher's deal was even more ungainly, as it contained a $12.5 million roster bonus payable in 2015, the second year of his deal. Now, once the bonus changes, it'll instead spread that $12.5 million figure over the remaining five years of Galette's deal. For a guy who struggles against the run and has just seven sacks this season, that's too much money.

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Even with Galette's restructuring, the Saints don't have much room to do anything this offseason. Woodbery noted that New Orleans is just under the cap. Fans shouldn't expect the team to make any major personnel moves over the next few days and weeks.

Plus, the Saints will still have to pay that $12.5 million eventually; now, it will eat into their payroll down the line.

This move helps in the short term but has long-term ramifications.