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New Orleans Saints shopping Curtis Lofton, Junior Galette

By Patrick Schmidt

Nov 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) on the bench during the fourth quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Bengals defeated the Saints 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) on the bench during the fourth quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Bengals defeated the Saints 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New Orleans Saints are paying the price for some expensive contracts and are shopping Curtis Lofton and Junior Galette to free up salary cap space.

There will be a number of new faces in New Orleans next season after several expensive veterans are expected to be traded or released if they can’t find any takers.

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The Saints already were forced to release Pierre Thomas on Wednesday afternoon but he could be just the beginning of a player exodus before the start of free agency later this month.

According to NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport, the Saints are shopping linebacker Curtis Lofton who made 144 tackles last year is as durable as any linebacker in the NFL. Lofton started 111 out of a possible 112 games since entering the league as a second round pick out of Oklahoma in the 2008 NFL Draft.

And CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora tweeted the Saints are looking to also move Junior Galette after back-to-back double-digit sack seasons and with one more year left on his three-year, $7.5 million deal.

Gallette had a career season two years ago when he started 15 games and had 12 sacks as an outside linebacker in Rob Ryan’s defense. He backed that season up with 10 sacks in 13 starts and set career-highs with three forced fumbles and 33 solo tackles.

As far as potential landing spots for Lofton and Galette, why not the Chicago Bears where former Saints executive Ryan Pace is in his first year as general manager?

The Bears have needs at all their linebacker spots with more questions than answers at the position and with Vic Fangio running a 3-4 scheme, both Lofton and Gallette would seem to be natural fits as far as the system is concerned.

Now, I wouldn’t expect the Bears are inclined to give up any precious draft picks in return and would rather wait for the Saints to release the duo, but once they hit the open market could garner interest from Pace and the Bears.

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