METAIRIE, La. -- They have a term for what happens when part of a player's contract still counts against the salary cap even after he's released: "Dead money."
But even a phrase so callous doesn't seem to do justice to the mess the New Orleans Saints got themselves into with Junior Galette's contract.
Even though the Saints released Galette on Friday, the four-year, $41.5 million contract extension he signed last September will still eat up $5.45 million in salary-cap space this season. Next year, he'll count a jarring $12.1 million against New Orleans' cap.
It's possible the Saints could recoup a small portion of Galette's cap hit (his fully guaranteed $1.25 million base salary) if he signs with another team. Or they could potentially argue that he violated the conduct clause in his contract with off-field allegations of violence. But that would be an uphill battle, especially since Galette was released even before the NFL decided whether he'll be suspended for those incidents.
For the most part, the Saints are just gonna have to eat this one.
And while I applauded them in one sense for having the conviction to release a player based on character concerns -- no matter the cost -- it won't make $17 million in dead money any easier to swallow.
It's especially detestable for a team that is already slammed up against the salary cap both this year and next because it has been maxing out the credit cards for the past few years.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Saints' top 53 salary-cap costs next year will already add up to more than $160 million -- which will put them over the cap again to start next offseason.
I haven't been critical of the Saints' cap management in recent years. I'm all for their philosophy of spending big bucks to try and win as long as quarterback Drew Brees remains in his prime. And I don't mind the way they back-loaded the cap costs on deals like Brees' contract (which counts $26.4 million against the cap this year and $27.4 million against the cap next year) because the NFL's salary cap has continued to rise rapidly along with those cap hits.
But for that kind of cap management to work out, it sure helps if the players they pay are ... you know, actually on the team.
General manager Mickey Loomis himself has explained that the Saints' limited cap space reduces their margin for error. You can't afford big misses.
The Saints are also eating $9 million in dead money after trading tight end Jimmy Graham one year into his mega-contract (but at least they got something in return for him). The same goes for guard Ben Grubbs ($6 million in dead money after being traded). Linebacker Curtis Lofton is counting for $5 million in dead money after being released.
All told, the Saints now have more than $28 million in dead money on this year's cap -- the most in the NFL.
The Saints decided their team will be better off without Galette as they try and repair a dysfunctional defense that was plagued by maturity and leadership issues last year. And maybe they will be.
But now they'll have to try and compete with more than $17 million tied behind their back.
